Understanding "放心" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 放心
• Pinyin: fàng xīn
• Literal Meaning: “to put down / release the heart”
• Primary Meaning: “to feel relieved; to rest assured; to be at ease; not to worry”

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage:
  放心 is a very common word used to express that someone can stop worrying about something. It can be used as a verb-like expression meaning “to set one’s mind at rest,” or as an adjective-like state meaning “relieved” or “at ease.”

It is often used in reassuring phrases:
- 你放心。 (Nǐ fàng xīn.) — “Don’t worry / Rest assured.”
- 请放心。 (Qǐng fàng xīn.) — “Please be assured / Please don’t worry.”
- 放心吧。 (Fàng xīn ba.) — “Rest assured / Don’t worry.”

You can also use it to say you trust someone or feel confident about something by using the pattern 对 + person/thing + 放心:
- 我对他很放心。 (Wǒ duì tā hěn fàng xīn.) — “I feel very at ease about him / I trust him.”

The negative form 不放心 (bú fàng xīn) means “to be worried” or “not feel at ease.”

• Character Breakdown:
• 放 (fàng): to put, to place, to release, to let go
• 心 (xīn): heart; in Chinese, it also refers to the mind or emotional center

Together, 放心 literally means “release the heart.” Imagine your heart is heavy with worry; when you 放心, you put that burden down and let your heart relax.

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 你放心吧，我会照顾好自己的。
• Pinyin: Nǐ fàng xīn ba, wǒ huì zhàogù hǎo zìjǐ de.

• English: Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself.

• Chinese: 我对他的工作能力很放心。

• Pinyin: Wǒ duì tā de gōngzuò nénglì hěn

Sources and Further Reading

• MDBG Chinese Dictionary: 放心
• Wiktionary: 放心
• HSK vocabulary reference dataset

Dictionary links are provided for independent reference. Example sentences and learning notes on this page are educational explanations rather than dictionary quotations.