Kilo Lingo

(xìn xīn) - confidence, faith (in something) in Mandarin

xìnxīn

Traditional: 信心

#2301 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

confidence, faith (in something)

Word origin

A compound of 信 (xìn, to trust, to believe) and 心 (xīn, heart), so the heart's trust in something.

Origin
compound
Root
信 (xìn, to trust) + 心 (xīn, heart)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 信

Stroke order for 心

Examples

I have great confidence in you.

He lost his confidence all at once.

This exam gave her confidence.

We are full of confidence about the future.

Do not lack confidence in yourself.

信心 (xìn xīn) is confidence in the sense of belief that something will go well: in a person, a plan, a team, an outcome. It is a thing you have, gain, lose or build, so it lives with 有, 没有, 失去 and 增强.

The frame to learn is 对 ... 有信心. The thing you believe in goes after 对, not after 信心: 我对你很有信心. English lets you say confidence in you; Mandarin marks the target first and the possession second.

The trap is confidence as a personality trait, which is 自信, not 信心. 他很自信 describes a self-assured person; 他很有信心 says he believes this particular thing will work out. Get the two swapped and you will accidentally call a nervous colleague arrogant.

Where this fits

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Mandarin · Free printables

信心: worksheet, infographic and listicle

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This word is part of lesson 47.