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芯 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
芯xīncore, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)ng, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
芯xīnlamp pithunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
芯xīnwickunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
芯xìncore, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)ng, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
芯xìnlamp pithunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
芯xìnwickunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Hard
xīn(xin1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1core, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)
  2. 2lamp pith
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March 24, 2026
芯xīn(xin1)

The character 芯 (xīn) refers to the core or central part of something, often used in contexts like the core of a plant or the essential part of an object. It can also denote the wick of a lamp, emphasizing its role as a central component that enables function.

Strokes7Radical艹Frequency#25454DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of 'core' extends to understanding the essence of herbs and plants, which are believed to hold vital energy and health benefits. Thus, 芯 can reflect deeper cultural beliefs about the importance of the core essence of life and nature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lamp with a glowing core, or 'pith', of light that illuminates the room. The character 芯 consists of the radical for grass (艹) on top, representing its connection to plants, and the character 心 (xīn) below, which means heart, symbolizing the central essence.

Meanings of 芯

xīn(xin1)
primary
1core, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)
2lamp pith
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 芯

芯Simplified
7Strokes
艹Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 芯

JasonAmy

Podcast: 芯

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 芯

Quick Contrast

核 (hé) - use 核 for 'nucleus' or 'core' in a more scientific context; 芯 is more about the central part in a general or practical sense. 中心 (zhōngxīn) - use 中心 when specifically referring to a 'center' or focal point in a broader context, while 芯 is more about an essential part within an object.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a lamp with a glowing core, or 'pith', of light that illuminates the room. The character 芯 consists of the radical for grass (艹) on top, representing its connection to plants, and the character 心 (xīn) below, which means heart, symbolizing the central essence.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 芯 with 心 (heart) due to the similar pronunciation. It's important to remember that 芯 is used more in technical or specific contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include lamp 芯 (xīn) for wick and 芯片 (xīn piàn) for chip, which refers to the core component in electronics.

HSK Study Tips

Although 芯 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other words at HSK level 3 and above that include the heart radical. Focus on recognizing how this character interacts with concepts of 'core' or 'central' in other vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of 'core' extends to understanding the essence of herbs and plants, which are believed to hold vital energy and health benefits. Thus, 芯 can reflect deeper cultural beliefs about the importance of the core essence of life and nature.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 芯 with those characters that also sound like 'xīn' but have different meanings, such as 心 (heart). For example, using 芯 when discussing emotions would be incorrect; instead, use 心.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 芯

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Etymology of 芯

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

The heart 心 of a plant 艹; 心 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 芯?

Decomposition of 芯

IDS Structure⿱艹心
芯Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 芯?

Write 芯

芯

Practice writing 芯 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 芯

芯 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

紧急冷却系统有可能失灵，核反应堆有可能发生堆____熔毁。

Emergency cooling systems could fail and a reactor meltdown could occur.

Example Sentences for 芯 (5)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
紧急冷却系统有可能失灵，核反应堆有可能发生堆芯熔毁。

jǐn jí lěng què xì tǒng yǒu kě néng shī líng， ， hé fǎn yīng duī yǒu kě néng fā shēng duī xīn róng。

Emergency cooling systems could fail and a reactor meltdown could occur.
2
设计硅芯片模仿人的器官听上去是异想天开。

shè jì guī xīn piàn mó fǎng rén de qì guān tīng shàng qù shì yì xiǎng tiān kāi。

Designing silicon chips to mimic human organs sounds fanciful.
3
他光着脚，穿着T恤衫和灯芯绒裤子。

tā guāng zháo jiǎo， ， chuānT zháo T xù shān hé dēng xīn róng。

He had bare feet, a T-shirt and cords on.
4
他从破旧的灯芯绒裤子口袋里掏出一串钥匙。

tā cóng pò jiù de dēng xīn róng kù zǐ kǒu dài lǐ tāo chū yī chuàn yuè chí。

He took a bunch of keys from the pocket of his old corduroy trousers.
5
脱渣性是自保护药芯焊丝研制过程中的重点和难点.

tuō zhā xìng shì zì bǎo hù yào xīn hàn sī yán zhì guò chéng zhōng de zhòng diǎn hé nán diǎn.

A difficult poit of developing SSFCE is slag detachability.

Cultural Notes for 芯

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of 'core' extends to understanding the essence of herbs and plants, which are believed to hold vital energy and health benefits. Thus, 芯 can reflect deeper cultural beliefs about the importance of the core essence of life and nature.

Word Family of 芯

Words Containing This Character8
芯片xīnpiàncomputer chip
芯xīnwick
芯片组chipset芯片組
灯芯绒corduroy (textiles)燈芯絨
灯芯lampwick燈芯
龙芯Loongson (a family of general-purpose CPUs developed within China)龍芯
滤芯filter濾芯
纤芯core (of a fiber)纖芯
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 芯片 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 芯

While it can refer to the core of something, it's often used in more technical contexts like electronics or botany.