fèi xīn: 费心 - To go to a lot of trouble; To put a lot of thought and effort into something

• Keywords: 费心, fei xin, feixin meaning, how to use feixin, Chinese polite expression, thank you for your trouble, Chinese gratitude, thoughtful, to put in effort, 操心 vs 费心, 辛苦 vs 费心
• Summary: Learn the meaning of 费心 (fèi xīn), a crucial Chinese term for expressing gratitude for someone's thoughtful effort and care. This guide explains how 费心 is used to thank someone for going to great trouble, distinguishing it from similar words like `麻烦 (máfan)` and `辛苦 (xīnkǔ)`. Discover its cultural significance and see practical examples to use it correctly in conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fèi xīn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To expend mental energy and effort on behalf of someone or something.
• In a Nutshell: 费心 (fèi xīn) literally translates to “spending the heart/mind.” It's a polite and warm expression used to acknowledge the mental effort, care, and thoughtfulness someone has put into a task for you. It's more than just “trouble”; it's about recognizing the valuable mental and emotional energy they invested. It is most often used when expressing deep gratitude.

• 费 (fèi): To spend, to expend, to consume, or a fee/cost. Think of spending resources—this could be money (费用 - fèiyòng), time, or in this case, mental energy.
• 心 (xīn): Heart, mind, or center. In Chinese philosophy, the heart (心) is the seat of both emotion and thought.

The combination 费心 (fèi xīn) beautifully captures the idea of “spending one's mental energy” or “investing one's heart” into a matter. It implies a deeper level of care and consideration than simple physical labor.

In Chinese culture, acknowledging the efforts of others is a cornerstone of politeness and building good relationships (关系 - guānxi). Simply saying “thank you” (谢谢 - xièxie) can sometimes feel insufficient, especially when someone has gone out of their way for you. Using 费心 (fèi xīn) demonstrates a higher level of social awareness. It shows that you not only appreciate the result but also recognize and value the unseen process: the planning, thinking, and caring that went into the action. Comparison to Western Culture: The English phrase “Thanks for going to the trouble” is a close equivalent, but it can sometimes carry a slight connotation of apology, as if you've caused an inconvenience. 费心 (fèi xīn), however, is almost exclusively positive and appreciative. It focuses on the giver's generosity of spirit and thoughtfulness rather than the receiver's imposition. It's less “Sorry to be a bother” and more “I'm deeply touched by the care you've shown.”

费心 is common in both formal and informal situations, but always carries a sense of sincerity and respect.

• Expressing Gratitude: This is its most frequent use, often in the pattern `让您费心了 (ràng nín fèi xīn le)` which means “I've made you go to so much trouble/put in so much effort.” It's a standard, polite way to thank hosts, teachers, colleagues, or anyone who has helped you in a thoughtful way.
• Making Polite Requests: When asking for a favor that requires significant thought or management, you can use 费心 to soften the request and show you understand the burden. For example, “这件事还要麻烦您多费心。” (This matter will require you to put in a lot of extra effort).
• Describing Dedication: It can also be used to describe someone's dedication to a task, often with an adverb like `煞费苦心 (shà fèi kǔ xīn)` which means to take great pains or rack one's brains.

• Example 1:
  • 为了我的事，让您费心了。
  • Pinyin: Wèile wǒ de shì, ràng nín fèi xīn le.
  • English: I've made you go to so much trouble for my affairs.
  • Analysis: A classic, polite, and essential phrase for thanking someone who has helped you with a complex issue, like paperwork or finding a job. `您 (nín)` makes it very respectful.
• Example 2:
  • 谢谢你送我的礼物，你太费心了！
  • Pinyin: Xièxie nǐ sòng wǒ de lǐwù, nǐ tài fèi xīn le!
  • English: Thank you for the gift, you're too thoughtful! (Literally: you've spent too much heart/mind).
  • Analysis: Perfect for when you receive a gift that is clearly well-thought-out and personal. It acknowledges the thought behind the gift, not just the gift itself.
• Example 3:
  • 孩子的教育问题，真是让父母费心。
  • Pinyin: Háizi de jiàoyù wèntí, zhēnshi ràng fùmǔ fèi xīn.
  • English: The issue of a child's education really makes parents put in a lot of effort and worry.
  • Analysis: Here, `费心` is used to describe a situation that requires continuous mental and emotional labor. It's not about a single act of help but a long-term responsibility.
• Example 4:
  • 这个项目的设计方案，他费了不少心。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù de shèjì fāng'àn, tā fèi le bùshǎo xīn.
  • English: He put a great deal of thought into the design plan for this project.
  • Analysis: This shows `费心` can be split. `费了不少心 (fèi le bùshǎo xīn)` emphasizes the large quantity of mental effort invested.
• Example 5:
  • 我老板要我安排这次会议，挺费心的。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ lǎobǎn yào wǒ ānpái zhè cì huìyì, tǐng fèi xīn de.
  • English: My boss wants me to organize this conference; it's quite a lot of work (that requires a lot of thought).
  • Analysis: Used to describe a task as being mentally taxing or requiring careful planning. It implies complexity and the need for attention to detail.
• Example 6:
  • 照顾生病的家人，他真是费心费力。
  • Pinyin: Zhàogù shēngbìng de jiārén, tā zhēnshi fèi xīn fèi lì.
  • English: Taking care of his sick family member, he really expended both mental and physical energy.
  • Analysis: The four-character phrase `费心费力 (fèi xīn fèi lì)` is very common. It combines mental effort (`费心`) with physical effort (`费力`) to describe a task that is completely draining.
• Example 7:
  • 这孩子的婚事，我真是费尽了心。
  • Pinyin: Zhè háizi de hūnshì, wǒ zhēnshi fèi jìn le xīn.
  • English: For this child's marriage, I have truly exhausted all my mental energy (put my heart and soul into it).
  • Analysis: `费尽了心 (fèi jìn le xīn)` is a stronger version, implying that one has used up all their mental resources on a matter. It conveys a sense of great effort, sometimes with a hint of exhaustion.
• Example 8:
  • 这件事，还要多费心跟进了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn shì, hái yào duō fèi xīn gēnjìn le.
  • English: For this matter, we'll still need to put in more effort to follow up.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in a business or work context. It's a polite way of saying “this requires continued attention and careful management.”
• Example 9:
  • 王老师，感谢您一直以来的教导，您费心了。
  • Pinyin: Wáng lǎoshī, gǎnxiè nín yīzhí yǐlái de jiàodǎo, nín fèi xīn le.
  • English: Teacher Wang, thank you for your guidance all this time. You've gone to so much trouble for us.
  • Analysis: A perfect and respectful way for a student to thank a teacher, acknowledging the teacher's dedication and care beyond just classroom instruction.
• Example 10:
  • A: 我帮你把所有的文件都整理好了。 (Wǒ bāng nǐ bǎ suǒyǒu de wénjiàn dōu zhěnglǐ hǎo le.) - I've helped you organize all the documents.
  • B: 哇，太感谢了！真是让你费心了！ (Wa, tài gǎnxiè le! Zhēnshi ràng nǐ fèi xīn le!) - Wow, thank you so much! I really made you go to a lot of trouble!
  • Analysis: This conversational exchange shows a natural reaction. The task (organizing documents) isn't just physical; it requires thought and care, making `费心` the appropriate response.

• `费心 (fèi xīn)` vs. `麻烦 (máfan)`: This is a key distinction.
  • `麻烦 (máfan)` means “to trouble” or “bother.” It refers to the inconvenience caused. You can `麻烦` someone for a small favor, like passing the salt.
  • `费心 (fèi xīn)` refers to the thoughtful mental effort invested. You wouldn't use `费心` for passing the salt. Use it for things that required care, planning, or consideration.
  • Incorrect: 帮我拿一下那本书，让你费心了。(For helping me grab that book, you've put in so much thought.) → Correct: 麻烦你了 (máfan nǐ le).
• `费心 (fèi xīn)` vs. `辛苦 (xīnkǔ)`:
  • `辛苦 (xīnkǔ)` means “hard” or “laborious” and usually refers to physical or general toil. You would say `辛苦了 (xīn kǔ le)` to movers, a taxi driver, or someone who just finished a long day of work.
  • `费心 (fèi xīn)` is for mental labor. If someone planned a surprise party for you, you'd thank them with `费心了` because it required thought, not just physical work. If they both planned it and did all the cooking and cleaning, you could say `又费心又辛苦！` (yòu fèi xīn yòu xīn kǔ!) - “It was both thoughtful and hard work!”
• Not the same as “to worry”: `费心` is about expending effort, while “to worry” is `担心 (dānxīn)`.
  • `费心`: I'm putting thought into planning your trip. (我为你计划旅行很费心。)
  • `担心`: I'm worried you will miss your flight. (我担心你会误机。)

• 麻烦 (máfan) - To trouble; troublesome. Focuses on the inconvenience caused, often for smaller matters.
• 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) - Hard; laborious; to work hard. Focuses on physical toil or general hardship.
• 操心 (cāoxīn) - To worry about; to take great pains over. Similar to `费心` but implies more of a burden of responsibility and anxiety, like a parent `操心`s for a child's future.
• 用心 (yòngxīn) - Attentive; diligent; to do with care. Describes the quality of having applied one's mind. `费心` is the action of expending that effort, often for others.
• 费力 (fèilì) - To expend physical strength; strenuous. The physical counterpart to the mental effort of `费心`.
• 感激 (gǎnjī) - To be grateful; to feel thankful. A strong, formal emotion of gratitude. You can feel `感激` because someone `费心` for you.
• 担心 (dānxīn) - To worry; to feel anxious. An emotional state of unease, distinct from the productive effort of `费心`.
• 煞费苦心 (shà fèi kǔ xīn) - An idiom meaning to take great pains; to rack one's brains. A very strong form of `费心`.