선심

Korean

Etymology 1

    Sino-Korean word from 善心, from (kind) + (mind).

    Pronunciation

    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈsʰɘ(ː)nɕʰim]
    • Phonetic hangul: [(ː)]
      • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
    Romanizations
    Revised Romanization?seonsim
    Revised Romanization (translit.)?seonsim
    McCune–Reischauer?sŏnsim
    Yale Romanization?sēnsim

    Noun

    선심 • (seonsim) (hanja 善心)

    1. generosity, kindness
      Synonym: 호의(好意) (goodwill, favor)
      선심 써서 구해주신 자리.
      Seonsim-eul sseoseo guhaejusin jarida.
      It's a position that he has generously found for you.
      도둑 선심 동료 훔친 물건 돌려주었지만, 자기 형량 줄이기 위해서였다.
      Dodug-eun seonsim sseudeut dongnyo-ga humchin mulgeon-eul dollyeojueotjiman, sir-eun jagi hyeongnyan-g'eul jurigi wihaeseo-yeotda.
      The thief returned the goods that his companion had stolen as if he were being generous, but it was really in order to reduce his own sentence.
      • 2020, “터무니없이 청구하고 선심쓰듯 깎아준다는 미국의 협상태도 [teomunieopsi cheongguhago seonsimsseudeut kkakkajundaneun migugui hyeopsangtaedo]”, in Yonhap News Agency[1]:
        터무니없이 청구하고 선심쓰듯 깎아준다는 미국 협상태도
        teomunieopsi cheongguhago seonsimsseudeut kkakkajundaneun Migug-ui hyeopsangtaedo
        America's negotiation attitude: demanding ridiculous amounts of money, then reducing the demand as if doing us a favor
    2. (Buddhism) a virtuous, benevolent state of mind
    Usage notes

    The expression 선심 (seonsim sseudeut, literally as if using generosity) means "while feigning generosity; while pretending to do one a favor (but really with another purpose, or of something that should have been a given)". See the usage example and quotation above.

    Etymology 2

      Sino-Korean word from (line) + (judge).

      Pronunciation

      Romanizations
      Revised Romanization?seonsim
      Revised Romanization (translit.)?seonsim
      McCune–Reischauer?sŏnsim
      Yale Romanization?sensim

      Noun

      선심 • (seonsim) (hanja 線審)

      1. (sports) linesman (assistant referee)

      Etymology 3

        Sino-Korean word from (Zen) + (mind).

        Pronunciation

        Romanizations
        Revised Romanization?seonsim
        Revised Romanization (translit.)?seonsim
        McCune–Reischauer?sŏnsim
        Yale Romanization?sensim

        Noun

        선심 • (seonsim) (hanja 禪心)

        1. (Buddhism) a Zen mentality, a meditative state of mind