真

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 真 (zhēn) is composed of two parts: the radical 言 (yán), which means "speech" or "language," and the phonetic component 針 (zhēn), which means "needle." The original meaning of 真 was "to speak truthfully" or "to be sincere." Over time, the meaning of 真 has expanded to include the ideas of "real," "genuine," and "authentic."The character 真 is first attested in oracle bone script, the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 真 is depicted as a person holding a needle. This image suggests that the original meaning of 真 was related to the act of piercing or penetrating, which is consistent with the idea of "speaking truthfully" or "being sincere."The character 真 has also been used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 真金不怕火炼 (zhēnjīn bùpà huǒliàn) means "real gold is not afraid of fire," which is used to express the idea that a person of true character will not be afraid of challenges or difficulties. The proverb 真人面前不说假话 (zhēnrén miànqián bùshuō jiǎhuà) means "one does not tell lies in front of a true person," which is used to express the idea that one should always be honest and truthful.The character 真 is a common character in modern Chinese. It is used in a wide variety of contexts, including everyday conversation, literature, and philosophy. The character 真 is also used in a number of Chinese names, such as 真理 (Zhēnlǐ), 真诚 (Zhēnchéng), and 真爱 (Zhēn'ài).