‘操心’ is a verb meaning ‘to worry’ or ‘to fret’—it describes the mental effort and emotional concern one invests in someone or something, often out of care or responsibility. The first character 操 (cāo) means ‘to handle’ or ‘to manage’, while 心 (xīn) means ‘heart’ or ‘mind’. Together, they literally suggest ‘handling the heart’—a vivid image of actively engaging one’s emotions to attend to matters that matter deeply.

This word is commonly used in interpersonal contexts: parents ‘操心’ their children’s studies or health; adult children ‘操心’ aging parents’ well-being; friends may gently chide each other for ‘操心’ too much about trivial things. It carries a warm, caring connotation—not cold anxiety, but involved, affectionate concern. It’s rarely used for impersonal or abstract worries (e.g., economic trends), and it usually implies ongoing, personal engagement rather than a fleeting thought.