慎 meaning and stroke order
Cautious, prudent
How to write 慎, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 慎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- careful
- cautious
- old variant of 慎[shen4]
How 慎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 真 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 慎
慎 combines the heart radical 忄 with 真 (zhēn, true), which also hints at the sound. Picture keeping your heart true and steady before you act, and you have being careful.
慎 rarely stands alone in speech and mostly appears in words like 谨慎 (jǐnshèn) and 慎重 (shènzhòng), which sound a bit formal. 不慎 (bùshèn) is common in news reports to describe an accident caused by carelessness. Example: 他不慎摔倒了。(Tā bùshèn shuāidǎo le.) He carelessly slipped and fell.
Common mistake: Learners often read 慎 as zhēn because of the phonetic part 真, but it is pronounced shèn with a falling fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 镇 (zhèn, town), which shares 真 but has the metal radical 钅.
Common words with 慎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
慎 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 慎
How many strokes are in 慎?
慎 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 慎 mean?
慎 (shèn) means cautious, prudent. A common word with it is 谨慎 (jǐnshèn), meaning "cautious; prudent".
How do you pronounce 慎?
慎 is pronounced shèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 慎?
The radical of 慎 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 慎 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 慎?
The traditional form of 慎 is 昚. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 慎 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 慎 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 慎 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 谨慎 and 小心?
小心 (xiǎoxīn) is everyday and often used as a warning, like 小心! for watch out. 谨慎 (jǐnshèn) is more formal and describes a careful, prudent attitude, such as in decisions or investments.
How is 慎 used in signs and set phrases?
You may see 慎用 (shènyòng, use with caution) on medicine labels and 慎入 (shènrù, enter with caution) on warning signs. In these short written phrases 慎 works like a verb meaning to be careful about.