真假
zhēn jiǎ · HSK 7
true or false
真假 = 真 true/genuine + 假 fake/false
真 (zhēn) means genuine or true; 假 (jiǎ) means fake or false. Pairing the two opposites gives a noun for the true-versus-fake question itself, as in asking whether something is the real deal.
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.
假 — person radical 亻 + 叚 (borrow)
假 combines the person radical 亻 with 叚, which originally meant 'to borrow' and provides the sound. The core idea is a person borrowing something, which extended to 'borrowed,' 'not real,' or 'fake.' From there it also developed the meaning 'leave/vacation' (time borrowed away from work).