正体
しょうたい · shoutai · JLPT N3 · noun
true character
🎭 正体 = true (正) + body (体): the real body under the costume
正 means correct or genuine, and 体 means body or form. Together they mean the true form behind a disguise. A common phrase is 正体を現す, to reveal one's true colors. Sound hook: shoutai, as in the moment someone finally shows who they are.
正 — one 一 + stop 止
Originally an ideograph showing a foot (止) advancing toward a target line (一), meaning 'to march straight toward' a city or goal. From this came the senses 'upright,' 'correct,' and 'proper.' The military sense survives in 征 (to campaign), which took over the original 'march' meaning.