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鬼由心生

guǐ yóu xīn shēngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
devils are born in the heart (idiom) / fears originate in the mind
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-d1a369c1ec144ebc. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

鬼由心生 鬼由心生 [gui3 you2 xin1 sheng1] /devils are born in the heart (idiom)/fears originate in the mind/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 鬼
    guǐ

    disembodied spirit; ghost; devil / (suffix) person with a certain vice or addiction etc / sly; crafty; resourceful (variant of 詭|诡[guǐ]) / one of the 28 constellations of ancient Chinese astronomy

  • 由
    yóu

    to follow / from / because of; due to / by; via; through / (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...

  • 心
    xīn

    heart / mind / intention / center / core / CL:顆|颗[kē],個|个[gè]

  • 生
    shēng

    to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born / to arise; to occur / to light (a fire) / to live; to be alive / life / raw; uncooked; unprocessed / unfamiliar; strange / (bound form) student; person engaged in a field / (bound form) male role in traditional opera / (bound form) life; lifetime / (bound form) means of livelihood / (bound form) very; intensely (as in 生疼[shēng téng]) / (bound form) in a forced manner (as in 生拉硬拽[shēng lā yìng zhuài])

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.