真
zhēn · HSK 1
really
✅ 真 = truly; the genuine article, no fakes
真 means really/truly/genuine. Common in 真的 (zhēn de, really) and 真理 (zhēnlǐ, truth). Contrast with 假 (jiǎ, fake) — 真 is the authentic, verified version.
真 — 匕 (spoon) over 目 (eye) over 八 (eight/base)
真 originally depicted a person or vessel used in ritual, conveying the idea of something genuine or true. Over time the form was reanalyzed as components like 匕, 目, and a base, but the core meaning of 'real, true, genuine' has remained stable since early bronze inscriptions.