真 + Adj. (really)

• Pinyin: zhēn
• Formation: Subject + 真 + Adj. / Verb
• Hanzi breakdown: 真 = 十 (ten) + 目 (eye) + 八 (eight), originally a pictograph of transformation

Meaning

The adverb 真 (zhēn) means 'really' or 'truly' and is placed before an adjective or verb to emphasize that something genuinely possesses that quality. It expresses the speaker's sincere feeling.

真 differs from 很 in that 很 is often a neutral filler before adjectives (很好 is just 'good' in many contexts), while 真 carries genuine emphasis — 真好 means 'really good' with actual emotional weight. 真 is common in exclamations and spontaneous reactions: 真漂亮! (so beautiful!), 真烦人! (so annoying!). It can also precede verbs to mean 'truly/indeed': 我真不想去 (I really don't want to go). Learners should distinguish 真 from 真的 — 真 functions as an adverb before adjectives and verbs, while 真的 can stand alone as 'really?' or modify nouns as 'genuine.'

Examples

1. 今天的天气真舒服。 The weather today is really comfortable.
2. 你做的饭真好吃。 The food you made is really delicious.
3. 这个孩子真聪明。 This child is really clever.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, everyday

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 你唱歌真好听。
• 这次考试真难。
• 她对人真热情。

Don't Say

• 这个苹果真很大。(Do not combine 真 with 很 — they are both degree adverbs and using them together is redundant) → 这个苹果真大。
• 真这个地方漂亮。(真 must directly precede the adjective or verb, not the subject — place it before the descriptive word) → 这个地方真漂亮。

Origin & History

The character 真 originally depicted a person who has ascended or transformed, carrying the meaning of 'true' or 'genuine.' Its use as an adverb meaning 'really' is a natural extension — something that is truly the case. This word has been used as an intensifier since early vernacular Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal