真相
zhēnxiàng · HSK 5
the real facts
🔍 真 = true/real + 相 = appearance; the real appearance = the truth
真 means true or real; 相 means appearance, looks, or aspect. Put them together and you get the real appearance of things — the bottom-line facts, the actual truth behind whatever surface story was told.
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.