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| 心痛 [2025/08/03 23:35] – created xiaoer | 心痛 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== xīntòng: 心痛 - Heartache, Heartbreak, Pained ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** xintong, 心痛, Chinese heartache, Chinese heartbreak, meaning of xintong, feel pained, feel distressed, what does xintong mean, Chinese emotion words, 心疼 vs 心痛, HSK 5 vocabulary | |
| * **Summary:** 心痛 (xīntòng) is a powerful Chinese term that goes beyond simple sadness, describing a deep, visceral feeling of pain or heartache. While it can mean "heartbreak" from a breakup, it's also commonly used to express profound distress over waste, loss, or another person's suffering. Understanding 心痛 (xīntòng) offers a window into Chinese cultural values about cherishing resources and deep empathy. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** xīn tòng | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Adjective | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To feel a deep sense of pain in one's heart, either emotionally (heartbreak, distress) or, less commonly, physically (chest pain). | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine the gut-wrenching feeling you get when you see something you value deeply being destroyed, a loved one suffering, or a wonderful opportunity being wasted. That sharp, painful feeling is 心痛. It’s not just being sad; it’s a pain that feels almost physical, stemming from loss, regret, or intense empathy. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **心 (xīn):** This character is a pictograph of a human heart. In Chinese, the heart is considered the center of both emotions and thought, representing the "heart-mind." | |
| * **痛 (tòng):** This character means "pain," "ache," or "soreness." It's composed of the sickness radical (疒) on the outside and a phonetic component (甬 yǒng) on the inside. | |
| The combination is direct and powerful: **心痛 (xīntòng)** literally means "heart-pain." This applies to both the metaphorical pain of emotions and the literal pain in one's chest. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In Chinese culture, the line between emotional and physical feeling is beautifully blurred, and 心痛 is a prime example. The heart (心) isn't just a pump; it's where you feel and process the world. | |
| A key cultural aspect of 心痛 is its application to **waste and loss**. This is a significant departure from the Western concept of "heartbreak," which is almost exclusively reserved for romantic love. A Chinese parent might feel genuinely 心痛 watching their child waste a bowl of rice or break an expensive toy. This isn't just about anger; it's a feeling of pain rooted in cultural values of frugality (节约 jiéyuē) and cherishing (珍惜 zhēnxī) what you have—values shaped by a long history where resources were often scarce. | |
| Compare this to the English word "distress." While "distress" captures the negative emotion, 心痛 implies a more personal, sharp, and almost physical ache. It's the difference between saying "It's a shame that food was wasted" and feeling a personal pang of pain because of it. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| 心痛 is a strong emotional word used in various situations to express a deep level of pain or sorrow. | |
| * **Romantic Heartbreak:** This is the most direct translation of "heartbreak." It's used after a breakup or a major relationship conflict. | |
| * **Loss and Waste:** This is a very common usage. You can feel 心痛 over losing a valued object, wasting money, or seeing resources squandered. | |
| * **Deep Empathy:** You can feel 心痛 when you see others suffering, such as victims of a natural disaster or people living in poverty. | |
| * **Regret and Failure:** Looking back on a major mistake or the failure of a project you poured your soul into can cause a feeling of 心痛. | |
| It is generally an informal word used to express strong, personal feelings. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 分手后，我感到非常**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Fēnshǒu hòu, wǒ gǎndào fēicháng **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: After breaking up, I felt completely heartbroken. | |
| * Analysis: This is the classic usage of 心痛 for romantic heartbreak. It conveys a deep, gut-wrenching sorrow. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 看到你这样浪费钱，我真的**心痛**！ | |
| * Pinyin: Kàndào nǐ zhèyàng làngfèi qián, wǒ zhēn de **xīntòng**! | |
| * English: Seeing you waste money like this truly pains me! | |
| * Analysis: A perfect example of the cultural usage. A parent might say this to a child. The pain is genuine and linked to the waste of a valuable resource (money). | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 我把奶奶送给我的手表弄丢了，**心痛**死了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ nǎinai sòng gěi wǒ de shǒubiǎo nòng diū le, **xīntòng** sǐ le. | |
| * English: I lost the watch my grandma gave me, I'm dying of heartache. | |
| * Analysis: The pain here comes from losing an item with deep sentimental value. The phrase "死了 (sǐ le)" is a common grammatical structure used to intensify the adjective, meaning "extremely" or "to death." | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 看到那些无家可归的孩子，我心里很**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Kàndào nàxiē wújiākěguī de háizi, wǒ xīnlǐ hěn **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: Seeing those homeless children, my heart aches. | |
| * Analysis: This shows 心痛 used for deep empathy or pity. The speaker feels a personal pain from witnessing the suffering of others. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 我们为这个项目付出了那么多，现在失败了，真让人**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen wèi zhège xiàngmù fùchūle nàme duō, xiànzài shībài le, zhēn ràng rén **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: We put so much into this project, and now that it has failed, it's truly painful. | |
| * Analysis: This usage connects 心痛 to the loss of effort, time, and hope. It's the pain of a "wasted" endeavor. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 他最近总感觉胸口**心痛**，需要去医院检查一下。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā zuìjìn zǒng gǎnjué xiōngkǒu **xīntòng**, xūyào qù yīyuàn jiǎnchá yīxià. | |
| * English: He's been feeling chest pains recently; he needs to go to the hospital for a check-up. | |
| * Analysis: This is the literal, medical use of the term. Note that "chest" (胸口 xiōngkǒu) is often specified to avoid ambiguity with the more common emotional meaning. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 眼看着自己辛苦种的菜被冰雹打了，老农别提多**心痛**了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Yǎn kànzhe zìjǐ xīnkǔ zhòng de cài bèi bīngbáo dǎ le, lǎo nóng biétí duō **xīntòng** le. | |
| * English: Watching the vegetables he had worked so hard to grow get destroyed by hail, the old farmer felt an indescribable heartache. | |
| * Analysis: The phrase "别提多 (biétí duō)...了" means "indescribably..." or "so... you can't even imagine." This emphasizes the profound pain of seeing one's hard work come to nothing. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 这本书被水泡了，我很**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè běn shū bèi shuǐ pào le, wǒ hěn **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: This book was soaked by water, and it pains me. | |
| * Analysis: A simple example showing distress over a damaged possession. It implies the book was valuable to the speaker, not just any old object. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 朋友的背叛比什么都让我**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Péngyǒu de bèipàn bǐ shénme dōu ràng wǒ **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: A friend's betrayal pains me more than anything else. | |
| * Analysis: Here, 心痛 is caused by a deep emotional wound—betrayal. It's stronger and more visceral than just being "sad" (难过). | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 每次想到那次机会被我错过了，我仍然会感到**心痛**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Měi cì xiǎngdào nà cì jīhuì bèi wǒ cuòguò le, wǒ réngrán huì gǎndào **xīntòng**. | |
| * English: Every time I think about that opportunity I missed, I still feel a pang of pain. | |
| * Analysis: This shows 心痛 can be used for deep, lingering regret over a past mistake or missed opportunity. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between **心痛 (xīntòng)** and **心疼 (xīnténg)**. They both involve the heart and a sense of pain, but they are not interchangeable. | |
| * **心痛 (xīntòng): Heart-Wrenching Pain** | |
| * **Focus:** Your own deep pain in response to a major loss, failure, grief, or regret. | |
| * **Feeling:** Intense, heavy, like a punch to the gut. It's about a negative event's impact on **you**. | |
| * **Example:** 你分手了，我为你感到**难过** (I feel sad for you), but 你自己感到**心痛** (you yourself feel heartbroken). | |
| * **心疼 (xīnténg): Affectionate Pain / Pity** | |
| * **Focus:** Feeling sorry for someone or something; doting on someone; a tender ache. | |
| * **Feeling:** Softer, full of affection, pity, and a desire to protect. It's directed **outward** toward someone/something else. | |
| * **Example:** 看到你工作这么累，我好**心疼**你。(Kàndào nǐ gōngzuò zhème lèi, wǒ hǎo xīnténg nǐ.) - "Seeing you work so hard, my heart aches for you." (I feel sorry for you/I care for you). | |
| **Common Mistake:** Using 心痛 for a minor issue. | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我朋友感冒了，我很**心痛**。(Wǒ péngyǒu gǎnmào le, wǒ hěn xīntòng.) | |
| * **Why it's wrong:** A common cold is not a major tragedy. This sounds overly dramatic. | |
| * **Correct:** 我朋友感冒了，我很**心疼**他。(Wǒ péngyǒu gǎnmào le, wǒ hěn xīnténg tā.) - "My friend has a cold, I feel sorry for him." This expresses care and concern appropriately. | |
| **Rule of Thumb:** If the feeling is about deep, personal loss or regret, use **心痛**. If it's about feeling sorry for someone with an element of affection, use **心疼**. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[心疼]] (xīnténg) - The most closely related term. A softer pain that means "to feel sorry for," "to dote on," or "to love dearly." | |
| * [[伤心]] (shāngxīn) - "Sad," "grieved," "heartbroken." Literally "injured heart." It's a very common synonym for emotional sadness and often overlaps with 心痛 in romantic contexts. | |
| * [[难过]] (nánguò) - "Sad," "to feel bad." A general-purpose word for sadness or feeling upset. It's less intense than 心痛. | |
| * [[痛苦]] (tòngkǔ) - "Pain," "suffering," "agony." A broader and more formal term for deep suffering, both physical and mental. 心痛 is a specific kind of 痛苦. | |
| * [[心碎]] (xīnsuì) - "Heart-shattered." Even more dramatic and poetic than 心痛. Used to describe overwhelming, unbearable grief, often found in songs and literature. | |
| * [[后悔]] (hòuhuǐ) - "To regret." The act of regretting something can be the *cause* of the feeling of 心痛. | |
| * [[可惜]] (kěxī) - "What a pity," "it's a shame." A milder feeling about a loss or missed opportunity. If the pity is immense, it can escalate to 心痛. | |
| * [[悲伤]] (bēishāng) - "Sorrowful," "sad." A more formal or literary word for sadness, often associated with grief. | |