真 zhēn truly
truly; real
How to remember 真: 十 ten + 具 tool = truly. At their golden anniversary, in front of ten grandchildren, the old carpenter puts down his favourite tool and tells his wife "I truly love you."
Component breakdown
真 = 十 ten + 具 tool
- 十 ten
- 具 tool
- 目 eye
- 八 eight
At their golden anniversary, in front of ten grandchildren, the old carpenter puts down his favourite tool and tells his wife "I truly love you."
How it came to be
A pot filled level to the brim, in the oldest readings: nothing added and nothing taken out. A later tradition reads it as a person transformed. Both end at the thing as it is.
How it is used
- Really / truly as an emphasizer - 真好 (zhēn hǎo) really nice, 真的吗? (zhēn de ma?) really?
- Carries genuine feeling, unlike the neutral degree word 很 (hěn); also genuine / real - 真的 (zhēn de) real, 真实 (zhēnshí) truthful.
Characters built with 真
Words with 真
- 认真rènzhēnserious, carefulHSK 3
- 真正zhēnzhènggenuineHSK 4
- 真实zhēnshítrueHSK 5
- 真诚zhēnchéngsincereHSK 5
- 传真chuánzhēnfaxHSK 6
- 天真tiānzhēnnaiveHSK 6
- 真相zhēnxiàngthe truth about somethingHSK 6
- 当真dàngzhēnto take seriouslyHSK 7
- 果真guǒzhēnreallyHSK 7
- 真心zhēnxīnwholeheartednessHSK 7
- 真情zhēnqíngreal situationHSK 7
- 真是zhēnshiindeedHSK 7
- 真理zhēnlǐtruthHSK 7
- 真空zhēnkōngvacuumHSK 7
- 仿真fǎngzhēnto emulateHSK 8
- 真挚zhēnzhìsincereHSK 9
- 逼真bīzhēnlifelikeHSK 9
Example sentences
- 老板真笨。 Lǎobǎn zhēn bèn.The boss is really stupid.
- 海边的风景真美。 Hǎibiān de fēngjǐng zhēn měi.The scenery by the seaside is really beautiful.
- 世界真大呀！ Shìjiè zhēn dà ya!The world is really big!
- 这个故事真有趣呀。 Zhège gùshi zhēn yǒuqù ya.This story is really interesting.