赤子之心

Pronunciation: chì zǐ zhī xīn Literal meaning: Heart of a newborn

Origin & Usage

赤子 is a newborn, called red for the colour it is born. Mencius wrote that the great person is the one who has not lost the heart (心) of the newborn (赤子之), and he meant something specific by it: not innocence in the sense of ignorance, but an unmanaged directness of response that most people trade away in exchange for competence. The phrase is high praise and is usually reserved for artists, scientists and the very old. It sits oddly on the young, since the point of it is that the quality survived something.

Examples

English: "Her innocence and kindness reflect the heart of a child, untouched by the world's harshness."

Chinese: 她的纯真和善良体现了赤子之心，未曾被世俗的残酷所污染。