心こころ

こ

ろ

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

noun

A broad word for a person's inner life: thoughts, emotions, intentions, conscience, or mental/spiritual strength. English often chooses either 'mind' or 'heart' depending on context.

彼かの女じょの言こと葉ばに心こころを打うたれた。
I was deeply moved by her words.
試し

験けん

の

前まえ

で

心こころ

が

落お

ち

着つ

か

ない

。

My mind won't settle down before the exam.

2

noun

meaning; point; hidden sense

Limited, old-fashioned or literary use for the intended meaning or point of a phrase, poem, riddle, or similar expression. In ordinary modern speech, 意味 is more common.

古ふるい言いい方かたで、「このなぞなぞの心こころ」といえば「このなぞなぞの意い味み」を指さす。
In an old-fashioned expression, このなぞなぞの心 means the meaning of this riddle.

Written forms

心こころUsage95%
Standard and common kanji spelling for こころ.
こころUsage5%
Kana spelling is sometimes used for softness, emphasis, titles, or learner-facing writing, but the headword is the kanji 心.
ココロUsage<1%

Kanji

心heart, mind, spirit

Similar words

気き持もち
Often means a current feeling, mood, or sensation; 心 is broader and can refer to the whole inner mind or heart.
精せい神しん
More formal or abstract, often used for the mind, mentality, or spirit in psychological, moral, or institutional contexts.
意い味み
The normal modern word for 'meaning'; it replaces the rare 心 sense used for the meaning or point of a phrase or riddle.

Etymology

Native Japanese こころ written with the kanji 心, which is conventionally associated with heart, mind, and inner feeling. The detailed historical derivation of the Japanese word is not specified.