胆大心细
胆大心细 (dǎn dà xīn xì) literally means “bold gallbladder, careful heart” and expresses “courage balanced with careful attention”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: dan da xin xi, dan da xin xi,胆大心细 meaning, 胆大心细 in english
Courage balanced with careful attention
Pronunciation: dǎn dà xīn xì Literal meaning: Bold gallbladder, careful heart
Origin & Usage
The physician Sun Simiao set out the pairing in his writing on medical practice: the gall (胆) should be large (大) and the heart (心) small (细), the intelligence rounded and the conduct square. He was describing the qualities of a good doctor — the nerve to act and the care to attend to detail, each useless without the other. Chinese physiology treats the gallbladder as the seat of courage, so the phrase is anatomical rather than metaphorical, and it is applied to surgeons, pilots and anyone whose work punishes both timidity and carelessness.
Examples
English: "The firefighter showed both courage and meticulous attention to safety protocols"
Chinese: 这位消防员既表现出勇气，又对安全协议一丝不苟
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
呕心沥血
ǒu xīn lì xuè
Invest utmost effort and emotion
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掉以轻心
diào yǐ qīng xīn
Lower one's guard
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口是心非
kǒu shì xīn fēi
Words differ from thoughts
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刻骨铭心
kè gǔ míng xīn
Deeply and permanently affected
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心猿意马
xīn yuán yì mǎ
Restless, unfocused mind
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提心吊胆
tí xīn diào dǎn
Constant dread; unable to stop worrying
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缘木求鱼
yuán mù qiú yú
Using completely wrong method for a task
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粗心大意
cū xīn dà yì
Careless; negligent
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 胆大心细 mean in English?
胆大心细 (dǎn dà xīn xì) literally translates to “Bold gallbladder, careful heart” and is used to express “Courage balanced with careful attention”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 胆大心细 used?
Situation: The firefighter showed both courage and meticulous attention to safety protocols
What is the pinyin for 胆大心细?
The pinyin pronunciation for 胆大心细 is “dǎn dà xīn xì”.
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