诚 meaning and stroke order
Honest, sincere, true; actually, really
How to write 诚, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 诚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) sincere; authentic
- (literary) really; truly
How 诚 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 成 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 诚
诚 combines 讠 (speech) with 成 (chéng), which gives the sound. Think of it as speech that is complete and whole, words you can fully trust.
诚 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 诚实 (chéngshí, honest), 真诚 (zhēnchéng, sincere) and 诚信 (chéngxìn, good faith). Example: 他是一个很诚实的人。(Tā shì yí ge hěn chéngshí de rén.) He is a very honest person.
Common mistake: Learners often write 城 (chéng, city) or plain 成 (chéng, become) when they mean 诚, since all three sound the same. Remember that honesty is about speech, so it needs the 讠 radical.
Common words with 诚
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 诚实 | chéngshí | honest | HSK 4 |
| 诚信 | chéngxìn | honesty; trustworthiness; good faith | HSK 4 |
| 真诚 | zhēnchéng | sincere; genuine; true | HSK 5 |
| 忠诚 | zhōngchéng | devoted; loyal | HSK 7-9 |
| 虔诚 | qiánchéng | pious; devout | HSK 7-9 |
| 坦诚 | tǎnchéng | candid; frank | HSK 7-9 |
| 诚意 | chéngyì | sincerity; good faith | HSK 7-9 |
| 诚挚 | chéngzhì | sincere; cordial | HSK 7-9 |
| 诚恳 | chéngkěn | sincere; honest | HSK 7-9 |
| 诚心诚意 | chéngxīn-chéngyì | earnestly and sincerely (idiom); with all sincerity | HSK 7-9 |
| 诚心 | chéngxīn | sincerity | |
| 开诚布公 | kāichéngbùgōng | lit. deal sincerely and fairly (idiom); frank and open-minded; plain speaking | |
| 诚然 | chéngrán | indeed; true! (I agree with you) |
诚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 诚
How many strokes are in 诚?
诚 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 诚 mean?
诚 (chéng) means honest, sincere, true; actually, really. A common word with it is 诚实 (chéngshí), meaning "honest".
How do you pronounce 诚?
诚 is pronounced chéng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 诚?
The radical of 诚 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 诚 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 诚?
The traditional form of 诚 is 誠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 诚 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 诚 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 诚 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 诚实 and 真诚?
诚实 (chéngshí) means honest, as in not lying or cheating. 真诚 (zhēnchéng) means sincere or genuine, describing real feelings toward someone, like a 真诚的微笑 (a sincere smile).
Can 诚 mean really or truly on its own?
Yes, but only in literary or formal Chinese, for example 诚然 (chéngrán, it is true that). In everyday speech people use 真的 (zhēn de) instead.