guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”
One of the publications that is now recommended to be used on Bible studies is the Yǒngyuǎn Xiǎngshòu Měihǎo de Shēngmìng—Hùdòng Shì Shèngjīng Kèchéng ((Yǒng·yuǎn Eternally · {Far (in Time)} 永远 永遠) (Xiǎng·shòu Enjoy · Receive 享受) (Měi·hǎo Beautiful · Good 美好) (de ’s 的) (Shēngmìng Life 生命)—(Hù·dòng {Each Other} · Moving → [Interactive] 互动 互動) (Shì (Type 式) (Shèng·jīng Holy · Scriptures → [Bible] 圣经 聖經) (Kè·chéng Lessons · Procedure → [Course] 课程 課程) → [Enjoy Life Forever!—An Interactive Bible Course (lff)]) (Enjoy Life Forever! (lff)) book. The section of this book entitled “Kāishǐ (Kāi·shǐ Open · Begin 开始 開始) Dú (Reading 读 讀) Shèngjīng (Shèng·jīng (the) Holy · Scriptures → [the Bible] 圣经 聖經) Ba ([ptcl indicating a suggestion, request, or mild command] 吧/叭)!” (“Get Started Reading the Bible”) cites 1 Peter 5:7, which in English says that God “cares for you”. This week’s MEotW, guānxīn (guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心), is used to translate “cares for” in this scripture in the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible.
The Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus unofficial rendering of this scripture, which can be found on the web here, is:
📖 📄 📘 Yào ({(you) must} 要) bǎ (hold 把) suǒyǒu (suǒ·yǒu {(all) which} · {(you) have’s} → [all (your)] 所有) yōulǜ ({being anxious} → [anxiety] 忧虑 憂慮) xiègěi (xiè·gěi {to be unloaded} · {to be given to} 卸给 卸給) Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝), yīnwei (yīn·wei because · for 因为 因為) tā (he 他) guānxīn (guān·xīn {closes → [concerns]} · heart (with) → [cares for] 关心 關心) nǐmen (nǐ·men you · [pl] 你们 你們).
Closing Off One’s Heart?
“Guānxīn (Guān·xīn {close → [concern]} · heart [(with)] → [care [about/for]] 关心 關心)” literally means “to close heart”, which may seem odd for an expression that effectively means “to care (about/for)”. However, whereas in English a closed heart means one that is closed off from others, Mandarin seems to use “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in this and related expressions to refer to closing with or approaching someone or something, or perhaps to refer to enclosing or embracing someone or something—apparently it’s all in the (implied) prepositions.
Related Expressions
Considering some other Mandarin expressions with “guān (shut; {close [up]} [→ [{lock up}; confine | concern; involve; implicate | connection | crux; {critical juncture}; {turning/key point} | {mountain pass}]] 关 關/関)” in them may help to improve our understanding of how this morpheme is used in Mandarin:
- guān’ài (guān’·ài {closing [with] → [being concerned [about]]} · love 关爱 關愛)
- guānhuái (guān·huái {close [with] → [[be] concerned [about]]} · {(carry in) bosom → [think of; be thoughtful toward; cherish]} 关怀 關懷)
- guānxi (guān·xi {closing [with] → [involving]} · {tying → [relating]} → [relationship; relation | (sexual) relations | bearing; impact; relevance; significance; influence] 关系 關係)
- guānyú (guān·yú {closing → [concerning; involving; relating]} · to; towards 关于 關於)
- guānzhù (guān·zhù {close with → [be concerned about]} · {pour into → [concentrate on]} [→ [follow with interest; pay close attention to; follow (on social media)]] 关注 關注)
For convenience:
The direct link for the current generation Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus resource for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:
The short link for Chinese field language-learning links for the Enjoy Life Forever! book is:
More Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) and Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web material based on the Mandarin Enjoy Life Forever! book will be made available in the Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus web resource as time allows.