野心 yěxīn ambition
ambition; wild schemes; careerism
How to remember 野心: 野 wild + 心 heart = ambition.
Characters
How it is used
- 'Ambition' - usually negative, 'overreaching designs' - 野心勃勃 (yěxīn bóbó) full of wild ambition; 政治野心 (zhèngzhì yěxīn) political ambitions.
- Unlike English 'ambition', 野心 leans pejorative - greedy, power-hungry schemes. For healthy ambition use 抱负 (bàofù) or 雄心 (xióngxīn).
- Choosing 野心 vs 雄心 signals whether you approve of the drive.
Example sentences
- 他是个很有野心的人。 Tā shì gè hěn yǒu yěxīn de rén.He was a man of great ambition.