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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, Very Hard
芯xīnlamp pithunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Very Hard
芯xīnwickunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Very Hard
芯xìncore, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)ng, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Very Hard
芯xìnlamp pithunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Very Hard
芯xìnwickunknown, 7 strokes, radical 艹, rank #25454, Very Hard
xīn(xin1)xin
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#25454DifficultyVery Hard
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

By ear

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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

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Podcast: 芯

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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.

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.

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

Origin

What kind of character is 芯?

Decomposition of 芯

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

Parts

Which of these is part of 芯?

How to say core, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus) in Chinese

“core, pith; the pith of a rush (Juncus effusus)” in Chinese is芯xīn

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.

When to use 芯

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.

芯 or something close to it

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.

What learners get wrong

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.

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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

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)

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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。

jǐnjí lěngquè xìtǒng yǒu kěnéng shīlíng, hé fǎnyìng duī yǒu kěnéng fāshēng duī xīn róng huǐ。

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。

shèjì guī xīnpiàn mófǎng rén de qìguān tīng shàngqù shì yìxiǎngtiānkāi。

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 zhe jiǎo, chuānzhuóT xù shān hé dēng xīn róng kùzi。

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 pòjiù de dēng xīn róng kùzi kǒudai lǐ tāo chū yī chuàn yàoshi。

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 bǎohù yào xīn hàn sī yánzhì guòchéng zhōng de chóngdiǎn hé nándiǎn.

A difficult poit of developing SSFCE is slag detachability.

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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

Words with 芯

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.

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