天真 tiānzhēn naive
naive; innocent; artless
How to remember 天真: 天 day + 真 truly = naive.
Characters
How it is used
- Innocent and artless - or naively unrealistic: 天真的孩子 (tiānzhēn de háizi) an innocent child; 你太天真了 (nǐ tài tiānzhēn le) you're being naive.
- Two-sided: endearing purity, or a mild criticism of unworldly thinking depending on context.
- Contrast 幼稚 (yòuzhì), which is more clearly derogatory ('childish, immature').
Example sentences
- 你太天真了。 Nǐ tàitiānzhēn le.You're so naive.
- 他们都是天真的孩子。 Tāmen dōu shì tiān zhēnde háizi.They're all innocent children.
- 我很惊讶你竟然那么天真。 Wǒ hěn jīngyà nǐ jìngrán nàme tiānzhēn.I'm surprised you're so naive.