Meaning & use
heart to heart about
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
An honest, private conversation in which people share true feelings about a particular subject.
Grammar: Used after verbs like have, need, or want, and followed by a noun or -ing form: have a heart to heart about money.
Patterns
- have a heart to heart about something
- need a heart to heart about something
- a heart to heart about something with someone
After the argument, they sat down and had a heart to heart about their future.
I think we need a heart to heart about how we share the chores.
She had a heart to heart about her worries with her best friend.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Used to describe the subject of such a serious, open talk.
Grammar: Often follows 'have a heart to heart' or 'a heart-to-heart talk' and introduces the topic.
Patterns
- a heart-to-heart talk about something
- a heart to heart about something
The coach had a heart-to-heart talk about effort with the whole team.
We finally had a heart to heart about why he had been so distant.
Common combinations
- have a heart to heart about
- They had a heart to heart about their plans for next year.
- need a heart to heart about
- We need a heart to heart about the money we're spending.
- a heart-to-heart talk about
- Her mother gave her a heart-to-heart talk about growing up.
- sit down and have a heart to heart about
- Let's sit down and have a heart to heart about what's bothering you.
Synonyms and how they differ
- heart-to-heart
- The noun or adjective form without 'about'; it names the talk itself, while 'heart to heart about' adds the topic.
- heart-to-heart talk
- A fuller, slightly more formal version of the same idea, often used in writing.
- open discussion
- More neutral and formal; it does not suggest the personal feelings and closeness that 'heart to heart' does.
Word family
- heart-to-heart noun
- A private, honest conversation about feelings.
Commonly confused: heart to heart about or heart-rending?
heart to heart about vs heart-rending
Heart-rending means causing great sadness; 'heart to heart' is about a close, honest talk, not sadness.
Practice
After weeks of silence, they finally had a heart to heart ______ their relationship.
Choose one answer.
'Heart to heart about' introduces the topic of the honest conversation, so 'about their relationship' is correct. 'With' would introduce the person, not the topic, and 'for' or 'to' do not fit this fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heart to heart about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.