假

• Pinyin: jiǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 假 = 亻(person radical) + 叚 (phonetic component); originally meant to borrow or pretend.

Meaning

Fake; false; not genuine. Describes something that is not real or authentic.

Used to describe counterfeit goods (假货), false information (假消息), or pretending (假装). The opposite of 真 (real, true). Very common in daily life, especially when discussing product authenticity.

Examples

1. 这个包是假的，不是真的。 This bag is fake, not real.
2. 他说的话是假的。 What he said is false.
3. 不要买假货。 Don't buy counterfeit goods.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, judgments, everyday

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 这是假的吧？(This is fake, right?)
• 你别假装了。(Stop pretending.)

Don't Say

• 不要混淆假(jiǎ)和假(jià) (Don't confuse 假 jiǎ meaning fake with 假 jià meaning vacation — they are the same character but different tones and meanings)

Origin & History

Composed of 亻(person radical) and 叚 (phonetic component). The original meaning was 'to borrow' or 'to pretend,' which evolved into 'false' or 'fake.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal