For the students who are studying Chinese in China, there are some similar word combinations which may confuse the students. The word combinations may be like the following word groups such as 心里and 心理, 心愿and 志愿, 信念and 信心. The word groups have a same word root. The first word group has the same word root心 which literally refers the mind. The second word group has the same root 愿 which literally means wish. The third word group has the same word root 信which literally means belief. Now let’s distinguish these three word groups.
From the above introduction, The first word group心里and 心理 has the same word root. But the meanings of the two words are different as well as the usages of them. both心里and 心理 are nouns. The word 心里 refers to the inner mind or in the mind. One can make such phrases like 心里发疼,记在心里. The word 心理 refers to the process of the objective reflection of the human minds and is used in a general sense that means the inner world of people’s thoughts or emotions. One can make such phrases like 心理咨询 or 研究人的心理. The teachers in the HSK preparation program in China may tell you the check points in the exams will be the discrimination of the two words.
The second word group 心愿and志愿 also differs in meanings. 心愿refers to the wishes in people’s minds while 志愿 refers to people’s ambition or aspirations. One can make phrases with the first word like 一个心愿or 最大的心愿. The word 志愿can be made such phrases or sentences like 报志愿or 他的志愿是当个教师. The discrimination is that both words can refer to the hopes of people. But 心愿 is the general thoughts and can not be collocated with verbs like 立下,树立,确定,放弃 and 达到. 志愿is a specific and had strong sense of wishes. It can be referred to some specific or realistic thoughts and wishes and can be followed by such verbs like立下,树立,确定,放弃 and 达到.
The third word group 信念and 信心 is different as well. 信念refers to the opinions which one is sure of. One can make such phrases like 改变信念or 抱有这样的信念. The word 信心 means confidence which refers to the wishes one believes in or the mentality that one will succeed in something. One can make such phrases like 丧失信心or 有信心提前完成任务. The word信念means the opinion one is sure about and is a cognitional and fixed concept. For example, one can make the phrase like 坚定的革命信念 firm revolutionary beliefs. 信心means the mentality that one can succeed. It is a general word. When one is studying such words, they should do more exercises to distinguish them well.