bun2 sam1本心
Jyutpingbun2 sam1
Yalebún sām
Definition
One's conscience, or one's original intention and true nature.
- conscience; original good nature
- original intention or mind
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
本心 carries a deeper, more philosophical nuance than the common term 良心. It refers to one's original, untainted moral compass or true intentions before being influenced by external greed or pressure. It is frequently used in contexts where someone has strayed from their moral path or forgotten their initial, sincere purpose.
Examples
You must have a clear conscience in how you live your life.
What they did shows they have absolutely no conscience.
Related words
Common phrases
to have no conscience
to have a clear conscience
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 本身, which means 'itself' or 'originally'. Ensure you do not mix up the character 心 with 身 when speaking about moral integrity versus original states.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
