Definition
胸臆 is a literary term combining 胸 'chest' and 臆 'the chest/mind'. It refers to the chest as the seat of one's emotions and innermost thoughts, similar to the English word 'heart' in phrases like 'pour out one's heart'. You'll encounter it almost exclusively in formal writing, poetry, or set expressions like 直抒胸臆 (to express one's true sentiments directly).
n.
(literary) one's heartinnermost feelings(literary) the chest (as the seat of emotions)
Examples
- 胸臆。Tā xiě zhè shǒu shī shì wèile zhí shū xiōng yì.He wrote this poem to pour out his feelings.
- ,胸臆。Dú tā de wénzhāng, wǒ néng gǎnshòu dào tā xiōng yì zhōng de bēifèn.Reading his articles, I can feel the grief and indignation in his heart.
- 胸臆。Nà fēng xìn jìnqíng de tǔlù le zuòzhě de xiōng yì.That letter fully expressed the writer's innermost feelings.
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