真实
zhēnshí · HSK 3
true
✅ 真 (true) + 实 (solid/real) = genuinely solid → true, real
真 means true/genuine; 实 means solid, substantial, or actual. Together 真实 stacks two near-synonyms for emphasis: not just true, but solidly real — factual and authentic, the opposite of 虚假 (false).
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.