心有靈犀一點通

Chinese

heart; mind
 
to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be
one touch
 
go through; know well; to connect; to communicate; open
trad. (心有靈犀一點通) 靈犀 一點
simp. (心有灵犀一点通) 灵犀 一点

Etymology

From one of Li Shangyin's “Untitled” (《無題》) poems:

彩鳳雙飛心有靈犀一點通 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
彩凤双飞心有灵犀一点通 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Tang dynasty, Li Shangyin, “Untitled” (《無題》)
Translation from: C. K. Ho (何中堅) (2015), Tang Poems in original Rhyme: An Innovative Translation (《原韻英譯唐詩精選》)
Shēn wú cǎifèng shuāngfēi yì, xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng. [Pinyin]
Phoenix's wings we lacked,
 to fly as a pair,
But linked were our hearts
 by the rhino horn's magical might.

The rhinoceros' horn is reputed to confer telepathic powers – it is thought to be extremely sensitive, able to pass stimulus information from its tip straight to the brain in an instant.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng
    (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧ ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): sam1 jau5 ling4 sai1 jat1 dim2 tung1


  • Middle Chinese: /siɪm  ɦɨuX  leŋ  sei  ʔiɪt̚  temX  tʰuŋ/
Rime
Character
Reading # 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1
Initial () (16) (35) (37) (16) (34) (5) (6)
Final () (139) (136) (125) (39) (48) (157) (1)
Tone (調) Level (Ø) Rising (X) Level (Ø) Level (Ø) Checked (Ø) Rising (X) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open Open Open Open Open Open Open
Division () III III IV IV III IV I
Fanqie
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/siɪm/ /ɦɨuX/ /leŋ/ /sei/ /ʔiɪt̚/ /temX/ /tʰuŋ/
Pan
Wuyun
/sim/ /ɦiuX/ /leŋ/ /sei/ /ʔit̚/ /temX/ /tʰuŋ/
Shao
Rongfen
/sjem/ /ɣiəuX/ /lɛŋ/ /sɛi/ /ʔjet̚/ /tɛmX/ /tʰuŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/sim/ /ɦuwX/ /lɛjŋ/ /sɛj/ /ʔit̚/ /tɛmX/ /tʰəwŋ/
Li
Rong
/siəm/ /ɣiuX/ /leŋ/ /sei/ /ʔiĕt̚/ /temX/ /tʰuŋ/
Wang
Li
/sĭĕm/ /ɣĭəuX/ /lieŋ/ /siei/ /ĭĕt̚/ /tiemX/ /tʰuŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren
/si̯əm/ /i̯ə̯uX/ /lieŋ/ /siei/ /ʔi̯ĕt̚/ /tiemX/ /tʰuŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
xīn yǒu líng yi diǎn tōng

Idiom

心有靈犀一點通

  1. (figuratively) two hearts linked as one; having minds that are in sync; two hearts beat as one; having great chemistry

Synonyms

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