(xīn lǐ) - psychology, mental state in Mandarin
xīnlǐTraditional: 心理
Translation
psychology, mental state
Word origin
A compound of 心 (xīn, heart, mind) and 理 (lǐ, principle, reason), coined in the nineteenth century to render the Western term for the study of the mind.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 心 (xīn, heart, mind) + 理 (lǐ, principle)
Stroke order
心
理
Examples
。
What he studies is psychology.
。
This is a perfectly normal state of mind.
。
The doctor said his mental stress is too great.
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I do not understand her thinking at all.
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He got himself mentally prepared before the match.
心理 (xīn lǐ) is the mind considered as a subject: psychology as a field, and a person's mental state or way of thinking. It attaches easily to other words, giving 心理学 (psychology as a discipline), 心理医生 (psychologist) and 心理准备 (mental preparation).
In everyday speech it most often means "what is going on in someone's head". 我不懂她的心理 is not a clinical statement; it means you cannot work out why she thinks the way she does.
The trap is 心里, which is pronounced exactly the same, xīn lǐ, and differs only in the second character. 心里 means inside one's heart and takes a following clause: 我心里很难过 (I feel awful inside). 心理 is the abstract noun. Get them the wrong way round and 我心理很难过 reads as a comment on your mental health rather than your mood.
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心理: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "心理" (psychology, mental state): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 51.