JLPT N1Four-character idioms
虚心坦懐
Readingきょしんたんかいkyoshintankai
- Meaning
- わだかまりのない素直で穏やかな心持ち
- Explanation
- "虚心坦懐（きょしんたんかい）" means emptying one's mind and facing things with an even, unprejudiced heart free of grudges. It is used in scenes of casting off preconceptions and bias to listen or respond frankly. Its direction differs from c3's "facing difficulties with strong resolve"; the core here is an unguarded, calm, and open mind.
Original Japanese explanation
「虚心坦懐（きょしんたんかい）」は、心を空（むな）しくし、わだかまりのない平らかな気持ちで物事に臨むことをいう。先入観や偏見を捨てて素直に話を聞く・対応する場面で使う。c3 の「強い覚悟で困難に立ち向かう」とは方向が異なり、こちらは構えのない穏やかで開かれた心という点が核心。
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