心有靈犀一點通

Chinese

		heart; mind	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	rhinoceros horn; meeting of minds; sympathetic response rhinoceros horn; meeting of minds; sympathetic response; mutual sensitivity	one touch	go through; know well; to connect go through; know well; to connect; to communicate; open
trad. (心有靈犀一點通)		心	有	靈犀	一點	通
simp. (心有灵犀一点通)		心	有	灵犀	一点	通

Etymology

From one of Li Shangyin's “Untitled” (《無題》) poems:

身無彩鳳雙飛翼，心有靈犀一點通。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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身无彩凤双飞翼，心有灵犀一点通。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Tang dynasty, Li Shangyin, “Untitled” (《無題》)
Translation from: C. K. Ho (何中堅) (2015), Tang Poems in original Rhyme: An Innovative Translation (《原韻英譯唐詩精選》)

Shēn wú cǎifèng shuāngfēi yì, xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng. [Pinyin]

Phoenix's wings we lacked,
　to fly as a pair,
But linked were our hearts
　by the rhino horn's magical might.

The rhinoceros' horn is reputed to confer telepathic powers – it is thought to be extremely sensitive, able to pass stimulus information from its tip straight to the brain in an instant.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧ ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat¹ dim² tung¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xīn yǒu língxī yīdiǎn tōng [Phonetic: xīn yǒu língxī yìdiǎn tōng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧ ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sin yǒu língsi yidiǎn tong
    • Wade–Giles: hsin¹ yu³ ling²-hsi¹ i¹-tien³ tʻung¹
    • Yale: syīn yǒu líng-syī yī-dyǎn tūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shin yeou lingshi idean tong
    • Palladius: синь ю линси идянь тун (sinʹ ju linsi idjanʹ tun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ liŋ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat¹ dim² tung¹
    • Yale: sām yáuh lìhng sāi yāt dím tūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹ jau⁵ ling⁴ sai¹ jat⁷ dim² tung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sem¹ yeo⁵ ling⁴ sei¹ yed¹ dim² tung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ lɪŋ²¹ sɐi̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ tiːm³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: sim hjuwX leng sej 'jit temX thuwng

Rime
Character	心	有	靈	犀	一	點	通
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	云 (35)	來 (37)	心 (16)	影 (34)	端 (5)	透 (6)
Final (韻)	侵 (139)	尤 (136)	青 (125)	齊 (39)	質 (48)	添 (157)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	IV	IV	III	IV	I
Fanqie	息林切	云久切	郎丁切	先稽切	於悉切	多忝切	他紅切
Baxter	sim	hjuwX	leng	sej	'jit	temX	thuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪm/	/ɦɨuX/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔiɪt̚/	/temX/	/tʰuŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/sim/	/ɦiuX/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔit̚/	/temX/	/tʰuŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/sjem/	/ɣiəuX/	/lɛŋ/	/sɛi/	/ʔjet̚/	/tɛmX/	/tʰuŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sim/	/ɦuwX/	/lɛjŋ/	/sɛj/	/ʔit̚/	/tɛmX/	/tʰəwŋ/
Li Rong	/siəm/	/ɣiuX/	/leŋ/	/sei/	/ʔiĕt̚/	/temX/	/tʰuŋ/
Wang Li	/sĭĕm/	/ɣĭəuX/	/lieŋ/	/siei/	/ĭĕt̚/	/tiemX/	/tʰuŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/si̯əm/	/i̯ə̯uX/	/lieŋ/	/siei/	/ʔi̯ĕt̚/	/tiemX/	/tʰuŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xīn	yǒu	líng	xī	yi	diǎn	tōng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sam1	jau5	ling4	sai1	jat1	dim2	tung1

Idiom

心有靈犀一點通

1. (figurative) two hearts linked as one; having minds that are in sync; two hearts beat as one; having great chemistry

Synonyms

• 心有靈犀／心有灵犀 (xīnyǒulíngxī)