诚意

• Pinyin: chéng yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 诚 = 讠(speech) + 成 (accomplish) = sincere; 意 = 音 (sound) + 心 (heart) = intention

Meaning

Sincerity; good faith; genuine intention. The quality of being honest and meaning what one says.

Used in negotiations, relationships, and transactions to describe genuine intention. Often appears in phrases like 有诚意 (have sincerity) or 表示诚意 (show sincerity). Important in business and diplomatic contexts.

Examples

1. 对方开出的条件毫无诚意，谈判陷入了僵局。 The terms offered by the other party showed no sincerity, and negotiations reached a deadlock.
2. 他送了一份大礼来表示诚意。 He sent a generous gift to show his sincerity.
3. 如果没有诚意，就不要浪费彼此的时间。 If there's no sincerity, don't waste each other's time.

Usage Guide

Context: business, negotiation, relationships

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 我们很有诚意地想解决这个问题。(We genuinely want to solve this problem.)
• 拿出诚意来谈，否则免谈。(Show some sincerity in negotiations, or there's nothing to discuss.)

Don't Say

• 他的诚意很漂亮 (诚意 is abstract — don't describe it with physical adjectives like 漂亮)

Origin & History

Compound of 诚 (sincere) and 意 (intention/meaning). Refers to one's genuine underlying intention.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal