恻隐之心

Prononciation: cè yǐn zhī xīn Signification littérale: Heart of compassionate concealment

Origine et Usage

This idiom describes the heart (心) of compassion (恻隐). It comes from Mencius, who argued this feeling of pain at others' suffering is innate to all humans, proving human nature is fundamentally good. The phrase represents the instinctive sympathy that arises when witnessing others' distress. Modern usage describes natural compassion and empathy, the moral intuition that responds to suffering and motivates benevolent action.

Exemples

Anglais: "His innate sense of compassion moved him to help the stranger."

Chinois: 他的恻隐之心促使他帮助陌生人。