确信

• Pinyin: què xìn
• Hanzi breakdown: 确 = 石 + 角 (solid and precise); 信 = 人 + 言 (person + word — trustworthy speech)

Meaning

To be firmly convinced; to be absolutely certain of something; to hold an unshakeable belief based on evidence or deep conviction.

Stronger than 相信, implying certainty arrived at through evidence, reasoning, or personal experience. Typically precedes a clause: 确信…是正确的 (be convinced that...is correct). Used in investigative, scientific, and personal conviction contexts.

Examples

1. 经过多方调查取证，侦探确信这起案件背后另有隐情，绝非表面所见那么简单。 After investigating and gathering evidence from multiple sources, the detective was convinced there was more to this case than meets the eye—it was far from as simple as it looked.
2. 她确信自己当年的那个决定是正确的，从未因此感到过一丝后悔。 She was certain that the decision she made back then was the right one, and she has never felt even a hint of regret about it.
3. 尽管外界质疑不断，这位科学家仍确信自己的理论具有重要的学术价值。 Despite constant doubts from the outside, the scientist remained convinced that his theory has important academic value.

Usage Guide

Context: investigation, science, personal conviction

Tone: resolute

Do Say

• 经过反复核实，调查组确信这批财务数据存在系统性造假行为，随即将调查结果上报主管部门。(After repeated verification, the investigation team was firmly convinced that this batch of financial data involved systematic fraud, and immediately reported the findings to the supervisory authority.)
• 他确信只要坚持正确的方向，无论途中遇到多少阻碍，最终都能实现自己的目标。(He was firmly convinced that as long as he maintained the right direction, he would ultimately achieve his goals no matter how many obstacles he encountered along the way.)

Don't Say

• 我确信这道菜好吃 — use 我相信这道菜很好吃 or 我肯定这道菜不错; 确信 implies conviction based on evidence or experience, so using it for casual food preferences sounds absurdly overstated

Origin & History

确 (certain/firm) + 信 (believe/trust) — to firmly believe something without a shadow of doubt

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal