About
The Chinese word **心眼** (xīnyǎn) is a compound term formed by combining **心** (xīn), meaning "heart" or "mind," and **眼** (yǎn), meaning "eye." It is a metaphorical construction where the "eye of the heart/mind" represents not physical vision but inner perception, intelligence, or intention. The term encapsulates the idea of mental sharpness, shrewdness, or the capacity for thoughtful discernment, and depending on context, it can carry positive connotations (e.g., being clever and thoughtful) or negative ones (e.g., being overly suspicious or scheming). Thus, its formation exemplifies how Chinese often creates abstract concepts by juxtaposing two concrete bodily nouns to express a unified, figurative meaning.