心眼儿 xīnyǎnr one's thoughts
one's thoughts; mind; intention; willingness to accept new ideas; baseless suspicions
How to remember 心眼儿: 心 heart + 眼 eye + 儿 son = one's thoughts.
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How it is used
- Colloquial for one's inner mind, cleverness, or scheming - 他心眼儿多 (tā xīnyǎnr duō) he's full of tricks / calculating.
- Range spans good (小心眼儿 petty vs 好心眼儿 kind-hearted) to cunning; 死心眼儿 means stubborn/inflexible.
- Northern spoken flavor with the 儿 suffix; also 实心眼儿 (naive, straightforward).