点 (diǎn): This character's primary meaning is a “dot,” “point,” or “to touch lightly.” In this context, it implies a small amount, a little bit, or a light touch.
心 (xīn): This character means “heart” or “mind.”
When combined, 点心 (diǎnxin) literally means “to touch the heart.” It suggests a small, delightful treat that doesn't weigh you down but brings a moment of joy and satisfaction, just lightly “touching” your heart and your appetite.
The most significant cultural expression of `点心` is its central role in the Cantonese tradition of 饮茶 (yǐnchá), or “yum cha” in Cantonese.
`Yum cha` is a social ritual of drinking tea and eating a wide variety of `点心` dishes. It's a leisurely affair, often enjoyed with family and friends on weekend mornings. Carts filled with bamboo steamers of dumplings, buns, and other delicacies are wheeled around the noisy, lively restaurant, and patrons simply point to what they want.
Comparison to Western Culture:
You can think of `yum cha` as a Chinese equivalent to “brunch,” but with key differences.
Brunch typically involves each person ordering their own large plate of food (e.g., pancakes, omelets).
Yum Cha is fundamentally a shared experience. Dozens of small dishes are ordered for the table, and everyone partakes. This reflects the Chinese cultural value of collectivism and communal dining.
While brunch can feel like a heavy meal that combines breakfast and lunch, the goal of `yum cha` isn't to get stuffed, but to sample, socialize, and relax over tea. The `点心` dishes are the vehicle for this social bonding.
While internationally famous for dim sum, `点心` has a much broader and more common usage in daily life across China.
As “Dim Sum”: When you say, “我们去吃点心吧 (Wǒmen qù chī diǎnxin ba),” in the context of a Cantonese restaurant, it specifically means “Let's go get dim sum.”
As a General “Snack”: This is the most frequent usage. A parent might ask a child after school, “你想吃点心吗？ (Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎnxin ma?)” meaning, “Would you like a snack?” The snack could be anything from a cookie, a piece of cake, a sweet bun, or even a bowl of sweet soup. It refers to any food eaten between main meals.
As “Pastry” or “Dessert”: You can walk into a bakery (面包店, miànbāodiàn) and refer to the cakes and pastries as `点心`. While the more specific word for a Western-style dessert is `甜点 (tiándiǎn)`, `点心` is often used to describe the sweet course at the end of a Chinese banquet.
The formality is generally neutral to informal. It's a very common, everyday word.