真诚
zhēnchéng · HSK 5
sincere
💯 真 = true/real + 诚 = honest/sincere
真 (zhēn) means 'real, true' and 诚 (chéng) means 'honest, sincere'. Together: genuinely honest, no pretense. 诚 contains 言 (speech) + 成 (complete) — words that fully match intent.
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.