Hsin

Hsin is a transliteration historically used in English-language sources to render several Chinese words with the same Mandarin pronunciation. It is not a single word but a romanization variant, most commonly associated with Wade-Giles and related schemes for xīn or xìn.

The characters most often linked to Hsin include 心 (heart or mind), 新 (new), and 信 (trust or faith). Although they represent different concepts, they share the same sound in Mandarin, which is why older spellings could blur their distinction.

In Chinese thought, xin (心) is a central concept meaning heart-mind, encompassing thoughts, feelings, and intention. In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart governs the blood and houses the Shen, the spiritual aspect of a person.

In onomastics and place-naming, Hsin appears as a transliteration of names or toponyms that in modern pinyin are Xin or Xīn. For example, older texts render 新竹 as Hsin-chu and Hsinchu in English, while contemporary usage favors Xīnzhú. The spelling also appears in surnames and given names in historical documents and some diaspora communities.