信

The Chinese character 信 (xìn) is composed of two parts: 言 (yán), which means "speech" or "word," and 人 (rén), which means "person." Together, these two parts suggest the idea of "a person who speaks truthfully" or "a person who keeps their word."The earliest known use of the character 信 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE), where it was used in oracle bone inscriptions. In these inscriptions, 信 was used as a verb meaning "to believe" or "to trust." Over time, the meaning of 信 expanded to include the ideas of "loyalty," "fidelity," and "sincerity."In modern Chinese, 信 is still used in all of these senses. It is also used in a number of compound words, such as 信任 (xìnrèn, "trust"), 信仰 (xìnyǎng, "belief"), and 信用 (xìnyòng, "credit").The character 信 is a powerful reminder of the importance of honesty and integrity. It is a reminder that we should always strive to be people who keep our word and who can be trusted.