I understand that to say ちっちゃなハート doesn't mean "little heart" in the
"romantic" context, it actually means someone who is not brave or courageous.
Would like a native speaker to shed some further light/context (or let me know
if I am totally wrong). Also consider ちっちゃな心 context and meaning?

Thank you!
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2017-02-21T23:18:11.863
43755
2017-02-23T17:38:39.103
19964
question
translation meaning
The meaning of ちっちゃなハート
What you are saying is neither totally correct nor totally incorrect. It is at
least partially correct.

The problem here is your use of the term " **romantic context** " because that
is not a very specific context. All kinds of topics could be covered in a
romantic context, could it not? Romance could happen to all types of people,
too.

「ちっちゃなハート」 can certainly mean "little heart". A young girl once said to me,
「アタシのちっちゃなハート、全部{ぜんぶ}〇〇[君]{くん}にあげる！♡」. 〇〇, of course, is my family name.

「ちっちゃなハート」 can also mean " **cowardly heart** ".

Same goes for 「ちっちゃな心」. What it means would entirely depend on the context. As
a general tendency, however, it is often used to refer to a "little heart" and
a " ** _narrow mind_** ". It would rarely, if ever, be used to mean a
"cowardly heart".
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-22T01:29:15.343
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2017-02-23T17:38:39.103
2017-02-23T17:38:39.103
9971
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answer
The usage and context of ハート vs 心 tends to be different.

  * ハート → more figurative, romantic nuance, emotion, the "heart shape"
  * 心 → mind, feeling, strength etc. (you wouldn't refer to the "heart shape" with this word; it'd be unnatural)
  * 心臓 → literally the muscle in your body we know as the "heart"

It might make sense to interchange ハート with 心 in some instances, but not the
other way around.

ハート is less "serious," if you will, and more innocent in its figurativeness. 心
loses that nuance. Perhaps this is the biggest differentiator in your
presented situation.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-23T06:58:46.893
43801
2017-02-23T06:58:46.893
19790
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answer