How to Write 芯 (xīn) — Meaning “Core / Wick / Chip”

Imagine a tiny plant (艹) growing from a heart (心) — the heart is the core of the plant. This visual reminds you that 芯 means "core" or "wick," the essential center of something. The heart shape also helps you recall the pinyin xīn.

Write the top grass radical first (three strokes: horizontal, vertical, left-falling), then the bottom 心 in three strokes (left dot, center hook with dot, right dot). A common mistake is making the bottom 心 too wide or forgetting the hook; keep the heart compact under the grass.

兹 (zī) means "this" or "now" and has a different bottom (two 幺), while 艻 (lè) is a rare character meaning a type of grass. In contrast, 芯 always has 心 at the bottom and specifically means "core" or "wick." Visually, 芯 is the only one with a heart component, which helps distinguish it.

芯 appears in everyday words like 芯片 (xīn piàn, microchip), the core of electronics, and 灯芯 (dēng xīn, lamp wick) for old oil lamps. You also see it in 笔芯 (bǐ xīn, pen refill), the ink core of a pen. It is not in HSK but is common in technical and household vocabulary.

Common words containing 芯 include: 芯片 (xīn piàn) — Chip / Microchip; 灯芯 (dēng xīn) — wick; 笔芯 (bǐ xīn) — pen refill.