Songs & Music · Jackie Chan · Study Guide
真心英雄 — True Heartfelt Hero
Zhēn xīn yīng xióng
Why Learn With This Song
真心英雄 is one of the most recognised Mandarin motivational anthems from the 1990s, performed by Jackie Chan alongside four other Hong Kong stars. The song is structured around the vocabulary of perseverance and sincerity — key themes in Chinese cultural discourse. For intermediate learners, it is particularly useful for the verbs 付出, 坚持, and 超越, which appear frequently in motivational contexts, business Chinese, and formal speech. The song also introduces the pattern of using abstract nouns (梦想, 奇迹, 辉煌) as goal-oriented objects.
Key Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pīnyīn | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 真心 | zhēn xīn | sincere, wholehearted | 真 = true/real; 心 = heart. Common compound — 真心话 = honest words |
| 英雄 | yīng xióng | hero | Classic Mandarin compound. 英 = outstanding; 雄 = brave/male |
| 付出 | fù chū | to give, to contribute, to invest effort | Commonly used with effort, time, emotion: 付出努力 = to put in effort |
| 坚持 | jiān chí | to persist, to persevere | Key vocabulary for motivational contexts. 坚 = firm; 持 = to hold |
| 梦想 | mèng xiǎng | dream, aspiration | Both noun (a dream) and verb (to dream of something). Very common in modern Chinese |
| 奉献 | fèng xiàn | to dedicate, to offer | More formal than 付出; implies sacrifice or devotion to a cause or group |
| 拼搏 | pīn bó | to fight hard, to struggle with all one's might | Intense motivational verb; 拼 = to risk everything; 搏 = to struggle |
| 勇气 | yǒng qì | courage, bravery | 勇 = brave; 气 = spirit/breath. 鼓起勇气 = to summon courage |
| 辉煌 | huī huáng | glorious, brilliant, magnificent | Used to describe grand achievements or dazzling light |
| 荣耀 | róng yào | glory, honour | 荣 = honour/glory; 耀 = shine/radiate. More formal than 光荣 |
| 超越 | chāo yuè | to surpass, to transcend | 超 = exceed; 越 = cross/surpass. Used for self-improvement: 超越自我 = surpass oneself |
| 奇迹 | qí jì | miracle, wonder | 奇 = strange/wonderful; 迹 = trace/mark. 创造奇迹 = to create miracles |
Annotated Verses (First 2 Verses)
Verse 1
在我心中曾经有一个梦
Zài wǒ xīn zhōng céng jīng yǒu yī gè mèng
Deep in my heart there once was a dream
Grammar note:在我心中 = in my heart (locative phrase as sentence opener). 曾经 (céng jīng) = once, at some point in the past — marks a completed or past state. 有一个梦 = existential sentence: “there exists one dream”.
要用歌声告诉你
Yào yòng gē shēng gào sù nǐ
I want to tell you with my singing voice
Grammar note: 用 (yòng) = to use/with — introduces the instrument or means of an action. 歌声 = singing voice (歌 = song + 声 = sound/voice). 告诉 (gào sù) = to tell/inform — takes both a recipient and content: 告诉你 [something].
Verse 2
把握生命里每一分钟
Bǎ wò shēng mìng lǐ měi yī fēn zhōng
Grasp every minute of life
Grammar note: 把握 (bǎ wò) = to grasp/seize (both literal and figurative). 生命 = life (formal; more profound than 生活 which refers to daily living). 每一分钟 = every single minute — 每 + 一 + measure word + noun.
全力以赴我们心中的梦
Quán lì yǐ fù wǒmen xīn zhōng de mèng
Go all out for the dream in our hearts
Grammar note:全力以赴 is a chengyu (四字成语): full force + with which + to go toward = to give one's all. This is a high-frequency idiom in business, sports, and motivational contexts. 心中的梦 = the dream in our hearts (的 links noun modifier 心中 to head noun 梦).
Note: Only the first two verses are annotated here in line with our educational fair-use approach. Listen to the full song via the YouTube link below.
Cultural Context
真心英雄 was performed at the 1995 CCTV Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会) by five Hong Kong pop stars including Jackie Chan, Leon Lai, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, and Jacky Cheung — a landmark performance that cemented the song's status as a cultural touchstone across Greater China.
The concept of 真心 (sincerity of heart) is deeply embedded in Chinese moral philosophy. Confucius emphasised 诚 (chéng, sincerity) as a foundational virtue, and 真心英雄 translates this into the pop idiom — a genuine hero is defined not by strength alone, but by the sincerity of their commitment to others and to their ideals.
Listen to This Song
Search for “真心英雄 成龙” on YouTube to find official and live performance uploads.
Search on YouTube →We recommend listening while following along with the annotations above.