A2 verb 2 min read

灰心

To lose heart or give up hope when things get difficult.

huīxīn
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

When you try something and it is hard, you might feel 灰心. It means you want to stop. But don't worry! You can try again tomorrow. It is okay to feel sad sometimes when things are not easy.

灰心 is a feeling you have when you are not happy with your progress. For example, if you study Chinese and cannot remember a word, you might feel 灰心. A good friend will tell you, 'Don't be 灰心!'

At this level, you understand that 灰心 is a common reaction to failure. It is often used in the phrase 不要灰心 (don't lose heart). It describes the moment your motivation drops because you expected a better result.

灰心 often appears in contexts of resilience. You might describe a professional situation where a colleague feels 灰心 due to a lack of feedback. It is a nuanced word that bridges the gap between simple sadness and total loss of ambition.

In advanced contexts, 灰心 can describe a philosophical resignation. It is not just about a specific task, but perhaps a general outlook on a long-term goal. Writers use it to show the internal struggle of a character who is fighting against circumstances.

At the mastery level, 灰心 is understood through its literary weight. It touches on the concept of 'ennui' or existential fatigue. It is used to describe the quiet, internal erosion of resolve, often contrasted with the 'fire' of passion or 'burning' ambition.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • 灰心 means to lose heart or enthusiasm.
  • It is a common reaction to failure.
  • The phrase '不要灰心' is very useful.
  • It is a stative verb in Chinese.

The term 灰心 is a beautiful yet poignant way to describe the human experience of losing hope. Literally translating to 'ash heart,' it suggests that the fire of one's ambition has dimmed down to cold, grey ashes.

When you feel 灰心, you aren't just tired; you are experiencing a temporary collapse of your internal drive. It is a very common feeling when learning a new skill or chasing a big dream, and it is perfectly normal to feel this way occasionally.

The etymology of 灰心 is deeply rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy. The character 灰 (ash) represents the remnants of a fire, while 心 (heart) represents the center of emotion and will.

Historically, this imagery was used to describe a person who had reached a state of complete emotional detachment or 'deadness,' similar to how a fire dies out. Over time, it evolved into the modern usage of feeling discouraged or disheartened.

You will often see 灰心 used with verbs like 感到 (to feel) or 不要 (do not). It is a versatile word used in both casual conversations with friends and more serious professional feedback.

It is important to note that 灰心 is a psychological state rather than a permanent trait. You might say, 'Don't be 灰心,' to encourage someone who is struggling with a task.

1. 灰心丧气: To be completely disheartened and dejected. Example: He felt 灰心丧气 after failing the exam.

2. 万念俱灰: To feel like all hope is lost. Example: After the tragedy, he felt 万念俱灰.

3. 灰心失望: Discouraged and disappointed. Example: She was 灰心失望 by the team's performance.

4. 不灰心: Not giving up. Example: Keep trying and 不灰心.

5. 灰心之至: Extremely discouraged. Example: He was 灰心之至 when the project was canceled.

灰心 functions primarily as a stative verb. In Chinese, it does not conjugate like English verbs. You can modify it with adverbs like 很 (very) or 太 (too).

Pronunciation: The 'huī' is a high-level tone, and 'xīn' is also a high-level tone. It sounds smooth and slightly melancholic when spoken slowly.

Fun Fact

The imagery of fire turning to ash is a classic metaphor in Chinese literature.

Pronunciation Guide

UK huī xīn

Standard Mandarin tones.

US huī xīn

Standard Mandarin tones.

Common Errors

  • Mixing up the tones
  • Slurring the 'x' sound
  • Mispronouncing the 'u' in hui

Rhymes With

开心 信心 更新 关心 精心

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to read

Writing 2/5

Easy to write

Speaking 2/5

Easy to say

Listening 2/5

Easy to hear

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

心 不要 失败

Learn Next

气馁 沮丧 振作

Advanced

万念俱灰 心灰意冷

Grammar to Know

Stative Verbs

他很灰心。

Imperative Negation

不要灰心。

Adverbial Modifiers

灰心地走。

Examples by Level

1

不要灰心。

Don't be discouraged.

Imperative form.

2

我有点灰心。

I am a little discouraged.

Adverbial modifier.

3

别灰心。

Don't be discouraged.

Shortened form.

4

他灰心了。

He became discouraged.

Completed action.

5

我不会灰心。

I will not be discouraged.

Future negation.

6

你灰心了吗？

Are you discouraged?

Question particle.

7

大家不要灰心。

Everyone, don't be discouraged.

Plural address.

8

灰心是不好的。

Being discouraged is not good.

Nominalized usage.

1

不要因为一次失败而灰心。

2

他感到很灰心。

3

我并没有灰心。

4

别那么容易灰心。

5

她灰心地叹了口气。

6

他看起来有点灰心。

7

不要灰心，继续努力。

8

灰心解决不了问题。

1

面对困难，我们要保持信心，不要灰心。

2

他虽然失败了，但并没有灰心。

3

这次考试没考好，我感到很灰心。

4

老师鼓励我们不要灰心。

5

不要因为一点挫折就灰心丧气。

6

经过多次尝试，他开始感到灰心了。

7

我们不能在这个时候灰心。

8

她灰心地离开了赛场。

1

尽管前路漫漫，我们也不应感到灰心。

2

这种反复的失败确实让人感到灰心。

3

他试图掩饰自己灰心的情绪。

4

不要让暂时的挫折使你灰心。

5

在经历了无数次拒绝后，他终于灰心了。

6

这种持续的压力让人感到灰心。

7

无论情况多糟，都不能轻易灰心。

8

他灰心的神情让大家都很担心。

1

他那灰心的态度让整个团队的士气低落。

2

即便在绝境中，他也不曾流露出一丝灰心。

3

这种灰心的情绪在年轻人中很常见。

4

他将自己的灰心转化为前进的动力。

5

不要被一时的灰心遮蔽了双眼。

6

这种灰心是由于长期的努力未见成效。

7

他试图克服内心的灰心感。

8

灰心往往是成功的必经阶段。

1

那种万念俱灰的感觉让他几乎无法呼吸。

2

他那灰心的眼神中透着对现实的无奈。

3

这种深层的灰心源于对理想的破灭。

4

他试图从灰心中走出来，重拾往日的激情。

5

面对如此巨大的变故，谁能不感到灰心呢？

6

这种灰心不仅是情绪，更是一种对未来的迷茫。

7

他将这份灰心化作了诗句。

8

在历史的长河中，个人的灰心显得如此渺小。

Common Collocations

感到灰心
不要灰心
容易灰心
灰心丧气
有点灰心
因为...而灰心
灰心地说
不再灰心
克服灰心
灰心的情绪

Idioms & Expressions

"灰心丧气"

To be completely discouraged.

他灰心丧气地坐在那里。

formal

"万念俱灰"

To lose all hope.

他感到万念俱灰。

literary

"心灰意冷"

To be disheartened and cold-hearted.

他对他心灰意冷。

formal

"垂头丧气"

Dejected and crestfallen.

他垂头丧气地回来了。

neutral

"灰心失望"

Discouraged and disappointed.

不要灰心失望。

neutral

"灰心至极"

Extremely discouraged.

他灰心至极。

formal

Easily Confused

灰心 vs 伤心

Both involve negative emotions.

伤心 is grief, 灰心 is giving up.

He was 伤心 because his dog died; he was 灰心 because he failed.

灰心 vs 失望

Both relate to unmet expectations.

失望 is disappointment, 灰心 is loss of drive.

I was 失望 with the result, so I felt 灰心.

灰心 vs 担心

Both contain '心'.

担心 is worry, 灰心 is giving up.

I 担心 the test; I felt 灰心 after the test.

灰心 vs 开心

Both contain '心'.

开心 is happy, 灰心 is discouraged.

I am 开心 today, not 灰心.

Sentence Patterns

A2

Subject + 感到 + 灰心

他感到灰心。

A1

不要 + 灰心

不要灰心。

B1

Subject + 灰心地 + Verb

他灰心地走了。

B2

因为 + Reason + 而 + 灰心

因为失败而灰心。

B1

Subject + 显得 + 灰心

他显得很灰心。

Word Family

Nouns

灰心感 The feeling of discouragement.

Verbs

灰心 To lose heart.

Adjectives

灰心的 Discouraged.

Related

信心 Antonym

How to Use It

frequency

8

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual Slang

Common Mistakes

Using '灰心' as a noun. → Use it as a verb/adjective.
It describes a state, not an object.
Confusing with '伤心' (sad). → Use '灰心' for giving up, '伤心' for grief.
Different emotional focus.
Using '很灰心' in formal writing. → Use '感到灰心'.
More professional structure.
Forgetting the '不要' structure. → Use '不要灰心'.
Common imperative mistake.
Overusing '灰心' for minor issues. → Use '失望'.
灰心 implies giving up on a goal.

Tips

💡

Fire Metaphor

Remember: Fire (灰) in the heart (心) goes out.

💡

Supportive Context

Always pair it with '不要' to be supportive.

🌍

Resilience

In Chinese culture, overcoming 灰心 is a virtue.

💡

Stative Verb

Use '很' or '感到' before it.

💡

Tone Practice

Both are high level tones.

💡

Don't be a Noun

Don't use it like 'a discouragement'.

💡

Ash Heart

It's a very literal translation.

💡

Journaling

Write about a time you felt 灰心.

💡

Adverb Placement

Place '很' before the verb.

💡

Professionalism

Use it to express feedback.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a campfire turning into grey ash.

Visual Association

A fire going out in your heart.

Word Web

failure hope resilience effort

Challenge

Write three things you do when you feel 灰心.

Word Origin

Chinese

Original meaning: Ash-heart

Cultural Context

None.

The concept of 'losing heart' is the closest cultural equivalent.

Used in many motivational speeches to emphasize resilience.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At school

  • 不要灰心
  • 继续努力
  • 下次会更好

At work

  • 不要灰心
  • 保持信心
  • 寻找方法

In sports

  • 不要灰心
  • 坚持到底
  • 还有机会

In learning

  • 不要灰心
  • 多练习
  • 进步很快

Conversation Starters

"What do you do when you feel 灰心?"

"Have you ever felt 灰心 while learning Chinese?"

"How do you encourage a friend who is 灰心?"

"Is it easy to get 灰心 in your job?"

"What is the best way to overcome being 灰心?"

Journal Prompts

Describe a time you felt 灰心 and how you recovered.

What is the difference between being 灰心 and being 失望?

Write a letter to your past self who was 灰心.

How does 灰心 affect your daily productivity?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

Yes, it describes a loss of motivation.

No, it's usually for human emotions.

信心 (confidence) or 振作 (pulling oneself together).

Yes, it functions as a stative verb.

Say '不要灰心'.

It is neutral and widely used.

It's more about 'giving up' than just being sad.

Yes, in a supportive context.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

不要___，再试一次。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 灰心

The context is about trying again after failure.

multiple choice A2

What does 灰心 mean?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: Discouraged

It means losing heart.

true false B1

灰心 is a positive word.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It describes a negative feeling of giving up.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Matching meanings.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Standard SVO structure.

Score: /5

Related Content

This Word in Other Languages

げんなり Japanese
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