核心 héxīn core
core; nucleus
How to remember 核心: 核 core + 心 heart = core.
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How it is used
- The core/nucleus/most central part - 核心问题 (héxīn wèntí) the core issue, 核心竞争力 (héxīn jìngzhēnglì) core competitiveness, 领导核心 (lǐngdǎo héxīn) leadership core.
- Emphasizes the essential, central element around which everything else revolves.
- Contrast 中心 (zhōngxīn, center, often physical/spatial); 核心 is the vital heart/kernel of a matter.