xìnxīn: 信心 - Confidence, Faith, Belief

• Keywords: 信心, xinxin, Chinese for confidence, have faith in Chinese, confidence in Chinese, believe in yourself Chinese, 对…有信心, 失去信心, self-confidence Chinese, trust in Chinese.
• Summary: 信心 (xìnxīn) is a fundamental Chinese term for “confidence” and “faith.” It represents not just self-assurance in your own abilities, but also the crucial trust you place in others, in a plan, or in the future. Learning how to use 信心 is key to expressing determination, encouragement, and belief, whether you're talking about passing an exam, trusting your team, or having faith in your own path.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xìnxīn
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: Confidence, faith, or belief in the ability or reliability of someone or something.
• In a Nutshell: 信心 is the inner feeling of certainty and trust that empowers action. Think of it as the “trusting heart” that allows you to move forward. It can be directed inward as self-confidence (`对自己有信心` - duì zìjǐ yǒu xìnxīn) or outward as faith in a person, a team, a process, or a future outcome. It's the opposite of doubt and the foundation for perseverance.

• 信 (xìn): This character means “trust,” “belief,” or “letter.” It's composed of 人 (rén - person) and 言 (yán - speech). The combination beautifully suggests that a person's word should be trustworthy, forming the basis of belief and faith.
• 心 (xīn): This character means “heart,” “mind,” or “center.” It's a pictogram of the human heart, which in Chinese culture is considered the seat of both thought and emotion.

When combined, 信心 (xìnxīn) literally translates to a “trusting heart” or a “mind filled with belief.” This captures the deep, internal nature of the feeling—it's a conviction that you hold in your very core.

In Chinese culture, 信心 is often seen as a practical and essential ingredient for success, rather than just an abstract feeling of self-worth. It is deeply tied to performance and outcomes, especially in high-pressure situations like the national college entrance exam (`高考 gāokǎo`) or navigating a competitive career path. A teacher will urge a student to have 信心 not just to feel good, but because it is believed to directly impact their ability to perform well. To contrast with a Western concept, 信心 (xìnxīn) is different from “self-esteem.” Self-esteem often relates to a person's overall sense of self-worth and value (“Do I like myself?”). 信心 is more action-oriented and situational. It's about your belief in your capability to accomplish a specific task or the belief that a situation will have a positive outcome. For example, you can have low self-esteem but still have 信心 that your favorite sports team will win. 信心 is the forward-looking belief that powers effort.

信心 is a common and versatile word used in daily life, from casual encouragement to formal business proposals.

• Expressing Self-Confidence: The most common structure is `有信心` (yǒu xìnxīn - to have confidence). To be specific, you use `对 [something/someone] 有信心` (duì… yǒu xìnxīn).
  • `我对这次考试很有信心。` (Wǒ duì zhè cì kǎoshì hěn yǒu xìnxīn.) - I have a lot of confidence in this exam.
• Expressing Faith in Others: The same structure applies when expressing trust in others.
  • `我们对我们的团队有信心。` (Wǒmen duì wǒmen de tuánduì yǒu xìnxīn.) - We have faith in our team.
• Losing and Gaining Confidence: Verbs like `失去` (shīqù - to lose), `建立` (jiànlì - to build/establish), and `找回` (zhǎohuí - to get back/rediscover) are frequently used with 信心.
  • `失败几次后，他完全失去了信心。` (Shībài jǐ cì hòu, tā wánquán shīqùle xìnxīn.) - After failing a few times, he completely lost his confidence.
• Inspirational and Formal Contexts: The phrase `充满信心` (chōngmǎn xìnxīn - to be filled with confidence) is often used in speeches, news reports, and motivational contexts.
  • `我们对国家的未来充满信心。` (Wǒmen duì guójiā de wèilái chōngmǎn xìnxīn.) - We are full of confidence in the country's future.

• Example 1:
• 你要对自己有信心！
• Pinyin: Nǐ yào duì zìjǐ yǒu xìnxīn!
• English: You need to have confidence in yourself!
• Analysis: This is a classic sentence of encouragement. The structure `对 [someone] 有信心` (duì [someone] yǒu xìnxīn) is fundamental.
• Example 2:
• 我对这次的面试没什么信心。
• Pinyin: Wǒ duì zhè cì de miànshì méishénme xìnxīn.
• English: I don't have much confidence about this interview.
• Analysis: `没什么` (méishénme) is a colloquial way to say “not much” or “not really,” softening the negative `没有` (méiyǒu).
• Example 3:
• 看到项目进展顺利，我的信心大增。
• Pinyin: Kàndào xiàngmù jìnzhǎn shùnlì, wǒ de xìnxīn dà zēng.
• English: Seeing the project proceed smoothly, my confidence greatly increased.
• Analysis: `大增` (dà zēng) means “to greatly increase.” This shows how 信心 can be dynamic, growing or shrinking based on circumstances.
• Example 4:
• 老师的鼓励给了我信心。
• Pinyin: Lǎoshī de gǔlì gěile wǒ xìnxīn.
• English: The teacher's encouragement gave me confidence.
• Analysis: Here, 信心 is treated as a tangible thing that can be “given” (`给 gěi`).
• Example 5:
• 尽管很困难，我们也不能失去信心。
• Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn hěn kùnnán, wǒmen yě bùnéng shīqù xìnxīn.
• English: Even though it's very difficult, we cannot lose faith.
• Analysis: `失去信心` (shīqù xìnxīn) is a common collocation meaning “to lose confidence/faith.”
• Example 6:
• 投资者对市场恢复了信心。
• Pinyin: Tóuzīzhě duì shìchǎng huīfùle xìnxīn.
• English: Investors have restored their confidence in the market.
• Analysis: `恢复` (huīfù) means “to restore” or “to recover,” often used in formal or economic contexts.
• Example 7:
• 他的话语中充满了信心和力量。
• Pinyin: Tā de huàyǔ zhōng chōngmǎnle xìnxīn hé lìliàng.
• English: His words were full of confidence and strength.
• Analysis: `充满` (chōngmǎn - to be full of) is a strong, often literary, way to describe an abundance of confidence.
• Example 8:
• 你到底有没有信心完成这个任务？
• Pinyin: Nǐ dàodǐ yǒu méiyǒu xìnxīn wánchéng zhège rènwù?
• English: Do you, in the end, have the confidence to complete this task?
• Analysis: `到底` (dàodǐ) adds emphasis, meaning “on earth” or “in the end,” used here to press for a clear answer. The `有/没有` (yǒu/méiyǒu) structure forms a question.
• Example 9:
• 建立信心需要时间和努力。
• Pinyin: Jiànlì xìnxīn xūyào shíjiān hé nǔlì.
• English: Building confidence requires time and effort.
• Analysis: `建立` (jiànlì - to build, to establish) frames confidence as something that must be constructed, not something you're simply born with.
• Example 10:
• 他的成功给了整个团队极大的信心。
• Pinyin: Tā de chénggōng gěile zhěnggè tuánduì jídà de xìnxīn.
• English: His success gave the entire team enormous confidence.
• Analysis: `极大` (jídà) is a formal word for “enormous” or “tremendous.” This sentence shows how one person's success can create collective confidence.

• 信心 (noun) vs. 相信 (verb): This is the most common mistake for learners. 信心 (xìnxīn) is a noun (“confidence”), while 相信 (xiāngxìn) is a verb (“to believe”). You cannot “信心 someone.”
  • Incorrect: 我信心你。 (Wǒ xìnxīn nǐ.)
  • Correct (I believe you): 我相信你。 (Wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ.)
  • Correct (I have confidence in you): 我对你有信心。 (Wǒ duì nǐ yǒu xìnxīn.)
• “Confidence” as a secret: The English phrase “to tell something in confidence” does NOT translate using 信心. This type of “confidence” means secrecy. In Chinese, you would use `秘密` (mìmì - secret).
  • Incorrect: 我有信心地告诉你一件事。 (Wǒ yǒu xìnxīn de gàosù nǐ yī jiàn shì.) This means “I confidently tell you something.”
  • Correct Context: 这是个秘密，我只告诉你一个人。(Zhè shì ge mìmì, wǒ zhǐ gàosù nǐ yīgè rén.) - “This is a secret, I'm only telling you.”

• 自信 (zìxìn) - Self-confidence. A close synonym, but more specifically focused on confidence in oneself. 信心 is broader and can be about others or situations.
• 相信 (xiāngxìn) - The verb “to believe” or “to trust.” This is the action, while 信心 is the resulting state or feeling.
• 信念 (xìnniàn) - Conviction, a deeply held belief (often philosophical, political, or moral). It is stronger, more stable, and more profound than 信心.
• 信任 (xìnrèn) - Trust, reliance (verb or noun). Refers specifically to the trust placed in a person or organization's reliability and integrity. 信心 is broader. You can have 信心 in the future, but you `信任` a friend.
• 勇气 (yǒngqì) - Courage, bravery. Courage is the quality that allows you to act despite fear. You often need 勇气 to follow through on your 信心.
• 希望 (xīwàng) - Hope (noun or verb). Hope is wishing for a positive outcome, while 信心 is actively believing in it. Confidence is a stronger conviction than hope.
• 怀疑 (huáiyí) - To doubt, suspicion. The direct antonym of 相信 and the opposite state of having 信心.
• 士气 (shìqì) - Morale. This is the collective 信心 and fighting spirit of a group, such as a sports team or an army.