真相
しんそう · shinsou · JLPT N1 · noun
truth
真 (true) + 相 (appearance, aspect) = the true appearance of a situation
相 means look or aspect, so 真相 is how a matter really looks underneath. Common phrase: 真相を明らかにする, to uncover the truth.
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.