선심

Korean

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 善心, from 善 (“kind”) + 心 (“mind”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈsʰɘ(ː)nɕʰim]
• Phonetic hangul: [선(ː)심]
  • 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”)

   선심을 써서 구해주신 자리다.

   seonsim-eul sseoseo guhaejusin jarida.

   It's a position that he has generously found for you.

   도둑은 선심 쓰듯 동료가 훔친 물건을 돌려주었지만, 실은 자기 형량을 줄이기 위해서였다.

   dodug-eun seonsim sseudeut dongnyo-ga humchin mulgeon-eul dollyeojueotjiman, sir-eun jagi hyeongnyang-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 미국의 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 쓰듯 (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 線 (“line”) + 審 (“judge”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹nɕʰim]
• Phonetic hangul: [선심]

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 禪 (“Zen”) + 心 (“mind”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹nɕʰim]
• Phonetic hangul: [선심]

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