Meaning of 虚心
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- open-minded
- humble
How to use 虚心
虚心 describes a humble attitude toward learning or advice. It often comes before verbs like 学习 (xuéxí) or 接受 (jiēshòu). Example: 他很虚心地听取别人的意见。(Tā hěn xūxīn de tīngqǔ biérén de yìjiàn.) He humbly listens to other people's opinions.
虚 (xū) means empty, and 心 (xīn) means heart or mind. An empty mind has room to take in new ideas, so 虚心 means open-minded and humble.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 虚心 (humble, positive) with 心虚 (xīnxū), which means feeling guilty or lacking confidence. The order of the characters changes the meaning completely.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
虚 xū · emptiness · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
心 xīn · heart · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 虚心.
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care |
| 开心 | kāixīn | to feel happy; to rejoice |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to be concerned about; to care about |
| 中心 | zhōngxīn | center; heart; core |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | to feel relieved; to feel reassured |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood; frame of mind |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | chest; heart; mind |
| 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point; in one's thoughts |
| 信心 | xìnxīn | confidence; faith (in sb or sth) |
| 伤心 | shāngxīn | to grieve; to be broken-hearted |
| 内心 | nèixīn | heart; innermost being; (math.) incenter |
| 决心 | juéxīn | determination; resolution |
Questions about 虚心
What does 虚心 mean?
虚心 (xūxīn) means "open-minded; humble" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 虚心?
虚心 is made of 2 characters: 虚 (11 strokes), 心 (4 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 虚心 an HSK word?
Yes. 虚心 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 虚心 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 虚心 is written 虛心.
What is the difference between 虚心 and 谦虚?
Both mean humble. 谦虚 (qiānxū) is about not boasting about yourself, while 虚心 stresses being open to learning and accepting advice.
Is there a common saying with 虚心?
Yes. 虚心使人进步，骄傲使人落后 (Xūxīn shǐ rén jìnbù, jiāo'ào shǐ rén luòhòu) means humility helps people progress, while pride makes them fall behind.