逼真
bī zhēn · HSK 7
lifelike
🪞 press-close + true = pushing right up against reality
逼 means to press close or force near. 真 means true or real. Together: something so realistic it forces itself right up against the truth.
逼 — walk radical 辶 + 畐 (full vessel, phonetic)
逼 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 radical signals motion or approach, while 畐 (depicting a full jar) supplies the sound. Together they convey the idea of pressing close or forcing someone, giving modern meanings like 'to compel' or 'to press in on'.
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.