芯
Meanings
Refers to the central part or inner essence of something, both physically and figuratively. Common in expressions such as 体の芯 and 芯が強い.
See also: 心 (しん)
The cold chilled me to the core.
She is a person with strong inner resolve.
pistil; stamen; flower's reproductive core
Botanical use corresponding to 蕊; depending on context, it may refer specifically to the pistil or to the stamen. In everyday speech, 花の芯 can also sound like the central part of a flower more generally.
See also: 蕊 (しべ)
In this diagram, the flower's 芯 is shown as the pistil or stamen area.
Usage patterns
- ろうそくの芯に火をつけるto light a candle's wick
We lit the candle's wick to celebrate the birthday.
- 鉛筆の芯が減るfor pencil lead to wear down
The pencil lead keeps wearing down as I write.
- 体の芯まで冷えるto be chilled to the very core of one's body
Walking through the snow, I got chilled to the bone.
- 芯まで火が通るto be cooked all the way through to the center
I boiled the potatoes until they were cooked through to the center.
- 花の芯を取り除くto remove the pistil/stamen of a flower
I removed the flower's pistil before making the arrangement.