Words & Speech
以心傳心
이심전심
yǐ xīn chuán xīn
I-sim-jeon-sim
以
써 이
心
마음 심
傳
전할 전
心
마음 심
Character by character
Meaning
Mind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.
Origin
A Chan Buddhist term for passing on awakening without relying on written words.
How it is used
Used when long-standing companions understand each other without speaking.
Hanja以心傳心
Simplified以心传心
Korean reading이심전심
Pinyinyǐ xīn chuán xīn
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does I-sim-jeon-sim mean?
以心傳心 · Mind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.
Q. Where does I-sim-jeon-sim come from?
A Chan Buddhist term for passing on awakening without relying on written words.
Q. How is I-sim-jeon-sim used?
Used when long-standing companions understand each other without speaking.
Idioms in the same group
言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.一言之下 Il-eon-ji-haSettled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.語不成說 Eo-bul-seong-seolThe words do not add up to a statement — it makes no sense.
The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.