Can somebody please explain the difference between 마음, 가슴 and 심장?
Hi, I am learning Korean and currently struggling with understanding and remembering the difference between 마음 (which I actually can't grasp the meaning of at all), and 가슴 and 심장 (which I know the general meanings of but cannot figure out where and when to use it.

If, for example, I was to tell somebody I cannot control my heart (emotionally) which form should be used?
Similarly with referring to your own physical heart-- which form for "my heart is racing"?

Thanks you!

Question

Can somebody please explain the difference between 마음, 가슴 and 심장?
Hi, I am learning Korean and currently struggling with understanding and remembering the difference between 마음 (which I actually can't grasp the meaning of at all), and 가슴 and 심장 (which I know the general meanings of but cannot figure out where and when to use it.

If, for example, I was to tell somebody I cannot control my heart (emotionally) which form should be used? 
Similarly with referring to your own physical heart-- which form for "my heart is racing"?

Thanks you!

Answer

마음 means "mind, heart(emotion)". "the center of emotion, especially as contrasted to the head as the center of the intellect"

심장 means "heart(organ)".  a hollow, pumplike organ of blood circulation, composed mainly of rhythmically contractile smooth muscle, located in the chest between the lungs and slightly to the left and consisting of four chambers

가슴 means "chest"
가슴 can be used as the meaning of 마음 or 심장 in some idioms.

I cannot control my heart (emotionally)  -> 마음을 다스릴 수 없어요.
my heart is racing -> 심장(or 가슴)이 마구 뛰어요.

Answer

Both 마음 and 심장 refer to the "heart", where 마음 is an original KR-word, while 심장[心臟] comes from traditional "hanja" (한자[漢字]),

On the other hand, 가슴 means "chest" (or "breast").

I cannot control my heart (emotionally) --> (나는) 나의 마음을 제어할 수 없어(요).
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좋은 하루를 지내세요.／I wish you a good day.

Answers · 2

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