📖 Meaning
Two people understand each other completely, as if their hearts were sealed together. It describes a deep, intuitive mutual understanding that requires no words — often between lovers, close friends, or mentor and student.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Chan (Zen) Buddhist doctrine, where 心印 (xīnyìn, 'mind-seal') refers to the direct, wordless transmission of enlightenment from master to disciple, tracing back through a lineage of patriarchs all the way to the Buddha. The full form 心心相印 ('heart to heart, mutually sealed') appears in Buddhist texts such as the 景德传灯录 (Jingde Chuandeng Lu, compiled in the Song dynasty), which records Chan lineages and koans. Over time, the term transcended its religious context and entered everyday language to describe any profound, unspoken bond between people.
💡 Example Usage
他们结婚三十年，依然心心相印，彼此一个眼神就能明白对方在想什么。
After thirty years of marriage, they remain kindred spirits — a single glance is all it takes for each to know what the other is thinking.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 心心相印
- Pinyin: xīn xīn xiāng yìn
- Literal Translation: heart, heart, mutually, seal
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4