Explanation at your level:
偏心 means you like one person more than another and treat them better. It is not fair. If you have two friends and you only give candy to one, you are 偏心.
When you are 偏心, you show favoritism. Parents should not be 偏心 to their children. It means you are not being equal to everyone in the group.
The word 偏心 describes a lack of objectivity. It is often used when someone makes decisions based on personal feelings rather than facts. It is a common complaint in family or workplace settings where someone feels treated unfairly.
Using 偏心 implies a subjective bias that disrupts fairness. It is a nuanced term because it suggests that the person's 'heart' is literally skewed. It is used to critique behavior that favors a specific individual or group at the expense of others.
In advanced contexts, 偏心 can describe systemic or structural partiality. While usually interpersonal, it can metaphorically apply to policies or judgments that lack neutrality. It highlights the human tendency to favor the familiar or the liked over the objective truth.
The concept of 偏心 touches upon the intersection of ethics and human psychology. It reflects the struggle between the ideal of universal justice and the reality of personal affinity. In literature, it is often used to explore the tragic consequences of unequal affection within family structures or power hierarchies.
Word in 30 Seconds
- 偏心 means showing favoritism.
- It is often used in negative contexts.
- Commonly used in family and school settings.
- Opposite of fairness (公平).
The term 偏心 (piān xīn) literally translates to 'tilted heart.' In Chinese culture, the heart is considered the center of judgment and emotion. When it is 'tilted,' it means your feelings or decisions are not centered, leading to favoritism.
Think of it like a scale that isn't balanced. If a parent gives more attention to one child, they are being 偏心. It is a very common way to describe situations where fairness is expected but not delivered.
The etymology of 偏心 comes from classical Chinese philosophy. The character 偏 (piān) means 'leaning to one side' or 'slanting,' while 心 (xīn) means 'heart' or 'mind.' Historically, a 'straight' or 'centered' heart (正心) was the ideal for a virtuous person.
Over centuries, the term evolved from a philosophical concept regarding moral uprightness into a common social term. It reflects the ancient belief that one's internal state directly influences external actions. If your heart leans, your actions will inevitably follow that bias.
You will hear 偏心 used most often in personal relationships. It is frequently paired with verbs like 太 (too) or 有点 (a little bit) to soften or intensify the accusation. For example, saying someone is 太偏心了 is a common way to express frustration.
In formal settings, it can also describe institutional bias, though other terms like 不公平 (unfair) might be more common in business reports. Always use it when you want to highlight the emotional or subjective nature of the unfairness.
1. 偏袒一方 (piān tǎn yī fāng): To openly take sides. 2. 一碗水端平 (yī wǎn shuǐ duān píng): To hold a bowl of water level, meaning to be perfectly fair. 3. 厚此薄彼 (hòu cǐ bó bǐ): To favor one while neglecting the other. 4. 戴有色眼镜 (dài yǒu sè yǎn jìng): To view someone through colored glasses (prejudice). 5. 不偏不倚 (bù piān bù yǐ): Neither leaning nor tilting; perfectly impartial.
Grammatically, 偏心 functions as both a verb (to show favoritism) and a noun (the act of favoritism). It is often used with the degree adverb 很 (very) or 太 (too). Pronunciation is piān (first tone) and xīn (first tone).
It does not have plural forms as it is an abstract concept. In English, it translates to 'partiality' or 'favoritism.' It is a versatile word that fits into almost any sentence structure involving interpersonal dynamics.
Fun Fact
The character '心' (heart) is a pictograph of a human heart.
Pronunciation Guide
Approximation of Mandarin sounds.
Approximation of Mandarin sounds.
Common Errors
- Mixing up tones
- Mispronouncing 'piān'
- Dropping the 'n' sound
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Easy to write
Easy to say
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Adverbial Modification
很偏心
Subject-Verb-Object
他偏心我
Negation
不偏心
Examples by Level
妈妈不偏心。
Mom is not partial.
Simple negation.
他很偏心。
He is very partial.
Adverb + adjective.
不要偏心。
Do not be partial.
Imperative.
老师偏心吗？
Is the teacher partial?
Question particle.
我不喜欢偏心。
I do not like favoritism.
Verb + noun.
这是偏心。
This is favoritism.
Subject + copula.
他们很偏心。
They are very partial.
Plural pronoun.
谁偏心？
Who is partial?
Interrogative.
老师对学生不能偏心。
你觉得我偏心吗？
他总是偏心他的弟弟。
这不公平，你太偏心了。
偏心会让大家不开心。
老板偏心那个新员工。
我们应该避免偏心。
偏心是不好的行为。
父母在教育孩子时应尽量避免偏心。
他因为偏心而失去了大家的信任。
这种偏心让团队内部产生了矛盾。
我不想表现得偏心，但我确实更喜欢他。
偏心是导致家庭纠纷的主要原因之一。
公司管理层如果偏心，员工会很失望。
你不能因为个人喜好而偏心。
这件事情的处理方式明显偏心。
在处理人事问题时，偏心往往会引发严重的职场冲突。
尽管他极力掩饰，但他的偏心还是显而易见。
偏心不仅是一种行为，更是一种缺乏公正性的体现。
很多时候，偏心源于潜意识里的亲疏之别。
作为领导，最忌讳的就是在下属之间表现出偏心。
这种制度上的偏心使得竞争变得不再公平。
我们必须承认，人类有时很难完全做到不偏心。
他那明显的偏心让整个会议室的气氛变得尴尬。
偏心所带来的负面影响，往往比表面看起来要深远得多。
在资源分配上，任何形式的偏心都可能导致长期的不平等。
这种偏心不仅损害了公平原则，也侵蚀了团队的凝聚力。
学术评价体系中如果存在偏心，将严重阻碍创新。
他试图通过公正的决策来抵消人们对他偏心的质疑。
偏心在心理学上通常与归属感和情感偏好有关。
即使是再客观的人，有时也难以彻底摆脱偏心的影响。
这种对特定群体的偏心政策遭到了公众的强烈抵制。
偏心不仅是伦理学上的瑕疵，更是社会结构中不平等的温床。
从哲学角度看，偏心是对‘中庸’之道的背离。
文学作品中常通过刻画偏心的长辈来揭示人性的复杂。
这种根深蒂固的偏心，往往源于深层的文化偏见。
在复杂的国际关系中，偏心往往会引发不可预知的地缘政治后果。
偏心是人类情感偏好与理性判断之间永恒的博弈。
通过制度设计来制约偏心，是现代文明进步的重要标志。
他以一种近乎冷酷的理性，剖析了这种社会性偏心的根源。
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"一碗水端平"
To be perfectly fair
做领导要一碗水端平。
neutral"厚此薄彼"
Favor one and neglect the other
对待员工不能厚此薄彼。
formal"不偏不倚"
Impartial and fair
他的评价不偏不倚。
formal"戴有色眼镜"
To have a biased view
别戴有色眼镜看人。
casual"偏袒一方"
To take one side
裁判不能偏袒一方。
neutralEasily Confused
Both mean bias
偏袒 is more formal/active
他偏袒那个嫌疑人。
Both involve self
私心 is about selfish motive
他没有私心。
Both mean unfair
不公 is general injustice
这很不公。
Sound similar
关心 is care, 偏心 is bias
他很关心我。
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 偏心 + Object
老师偏心小明。
Subject + 是 + 偏心
这简直是偏心。
Subject + 觉得 + Subject + 偏心
我觉得他偏心。
因为 + 偏心 + Subject + 动作
因为偏心，他给了他更多。
Subject + 表现出 + 偏心
他表现出明显的偏心。
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
'偏心' is for people/feelings, '倾斜' is for objects.
'偏心' is negative, '关心' is positive.
It describes a state, not how an action is done.
'偏心' is about bias, not personality.
'偏心' is too emotional for formal reports.
Tips
Heart Tilt
Remember: Heart (心) + Tilt (偏) = Bias.
Family Context
Use it when discussing siblings or kids.
Fairness
Chinese culture values harmony, so bias is frowned upon.
Degree Adverbs
Always use '太' or '很' before it.
Tone Check
Both characters are first tone.
Avoid Confusion
Don't use it for 'leaning' an object.
Mechanical Use
In engineering, 偏心轴 is an eccentric shaft.
Contextualize
Write a sentence about a real-life situation.
Be Careful
It is an accusation, use it carefully.
Essay Tip
Use it to describe character flaws.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a heart (心) that is leaning (偏) to one side.
Visual Association
A scale with a heart on one side weighing it down.
Word Web
Challenge
Try to identify one situation where you feel someone is being fair vs. biased today.
Word Origin
Chinese
Original meaning: Tilted heart
Cultural Context
Can be a very sensitive accusation in families.
Equates to 'playing favorites'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At home
- 妈妈偏心
- 不要偏心哥哥
- 偏心是不对的
At school
- 老师偏心
- 偏心那个学生
- 公平对待
At work
- 老板偏心
- 偏心下属
- 职场偏心
In sports
- 裁判偏心
- 偏心一方
- 不公平判罚
Conversation Starters
"你觉得老师偏心吗？"
"你小时候觉得父母偏心吗？"
"在职场中，你遇到过偏心的老板吗？"
"如何避免在处理问题时偏心？"
"你认为完全不偏心可能吗？"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time you felt treated unfairly.
Is it possible for parents to be 100% fair?
How does bias affect a team's performance?
Write about a character who is 偏心.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsUsually, yes, as it implies unfairness.
Yes, '我有点偏心' (I am a bit biased).
It is more common in daily conversation.
公平 (Fairness).
No, it applies to people/decisions.
Yes, '他偏心那个人'.
Yes, to describe unfair management.
不要偏心.
Test Yourself
妈妈不___。
Context refers to fairness.
What does 偏心 mean?
It means showing favoritism.
偏心 is a positive trait.
It is generally seen as negative.
Word
Meaning
Matching terms to meanings.
Subject + adverb + adjective.
Score: /5
Summary
偏心 is the act of tilting your heart toward one side, resulting in unfair treatment of others.
- 偏心 means showing favoritism.
- It is often used in negative contexts.
- Commonly used in family and school settings.
- Opposite of fairness (公平).
Heart Tilt
Remember: Heart (心) + Tilt (偏) = Bias.
Family Context
Use it when discussing siblings or kids.
Fairness
Chinese culture values harmony, so bias is frowned upon.
Degree Adverbs
Always use '太' or '很' before it.
Related Content
More emotions words
有点
A1A little; somewhat; rather.
一点
A1A little; a bit; slightly.
可恶
A2Hateful; detestable; abominable.
心不在焉
A2Absent-minded; preoccupied.
接受地
A2Acceptingly; receptively.
成就感
B1Sense of achievement; fulfillment.
撒娇
A2To act like a spoiled child; to act cute.
上瘾
B1To be addicted to something.
沉迷
A2To be addicted to; to be engrossed in.
敬佩
B1Admiration; respect; reverence.
