noun
heart; mind; spirit; inner strength
The Sino-Japanese reading しん of 心 for the mental or spiritual side of a person. It is very common inside compounds and fixed expressions such as 心身 and 心・技・体; the ordinary standalone reading for 'heart/mind' is usually こころ.
See also: 心 (こころ)
心身の健康を保つには、休むことも大切だ。
Rest is also important for maintaining health of mind and body.
武道では「心・技・体」のバランスが重んじられる。
In martial arts, the balance of spirit, technique, and body is valued.
noun
innermost heart; true feelings; core of one's character
Focuses on what lies deep inside a person: their real feelings, nature, or character. In modern Japanese this しん reading is often encountered through compounds such as 本心.
彼の本心はまだ分からない。
I still do not know his true feelings.
noun
Only when written 芯
Used for the physical or structural center of something. This meaning is normally written 芯 in everyday Japanese, especially for fruit cores, pencil leads, and the center of an object.
See also: 芯
リンゴの芯を取ってから切った。
I removed the apple core before cutting it.
noun
heart; cardiac organ
Refers to the anatomical heart, mainly as a technical or compound element in words such as 心拍 and 心音. The usual standalone everyday word for the organ is 心臓.
See also: 心臓
走ったあと、心拍が速くなった。
After running, my heartbeat became faster.
noun
Heart mansion; Chinese Heart constellation
Astronomical name for the Chinese 'Heart' constellation, one of the twenty-eight mansions. This is a specialized traditional astronomy term.
See also: 二十八宿
二十八宿には「心」という宿がある。
Among the twenty-eight mansions, there is one called Heart.
noun
Archaic children's-language use meaning 'friend.' It is not used this way in modern everyday Japanese except when explaining old or childlike language.
古い子ども言葉では、「心」が友だちを指すことがあった。
In old children's language, 心 could refer to a friend.
The normal spelling for a physical core or center, such as the core of fruit or the lead of a pencil; it does not carry the emotional or mental meanings of 心.
The ordinary standalone word for the anatomical heart. 心 read しん can refer to the heart as a compound or technical element.
A common compound meaning one's true feelings or real intention; it is a practical example of 心 read しん in the 'innermost heart' sense.
心 is the kanji conventionally used for heart, mind, and spirit. The reading しん is the Sino-Japanese on-yomi, widely used in compounds; the same character is also commonly read こころ as a native Japanese word. The physical 'core' sense is usually written with the separate character 芯.