实 shí — real; true; honest; really; solid
他是个老实的人。Tā shì ge lǎo shi de rén.He is an honest person.
Common words: 实现 (shí xiàn)、实在 (shí zài)、实际 (shí jì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "real"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "real", including 实 (shí), 真 (zhēn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "real" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 实 (shí), 真 (zhēn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shí, zhēn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 实 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 实 shíreal; true; honest; really; solidUseful words: 实现, 实在
- 真 zhēnreal; true; genuineUseful words: 真的, 认真
Common words for these 2 "real" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 实 (shí) — so "real" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "real".
真 zhēn — real; true; genuine
这个消息是真的吗？Zhè ge xiāo xi shì zhēn de ma?Is this news true?
Common words: 真的 (zhēn de)、认真 (rèn zhēn)、真正 (zhēn zhèng)
All 2 characters
Open 实、真 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.