貞 meaning and stroke order
Virtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
How to write 貞, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 9
Meaning of 貞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- chaste
How 貞 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 貞
貞 is ⺊ on top of 貝 (bèi, shell, an old symbol of value). Picture a small mark ⺊ placed on something precious 貝 to show it is pure and untouched, which links to the meaning chaste and loyal.
貞 (zhēn) is a formal, literary character that mostly appears inside fixed words like 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn) and 贞洁 (zhēnjié). It is rarely used alone in modern speech. Example: 他对国家很忠贞。(Tā duì guójiā hěn zhōngzhēn.) He is very loyal to his country.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 貞 with 真 (zhēn, true, real) because they share the same sound and tone. 真 means real, as in 真的 (zhēn de), while 貞 means chaste or loyal, so 贞洁 cannot be written as 真洁.
Common words with 貞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Characters that contain 貞
Learning 貞 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 貞
How many strokes are in 貞?
貞 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 貞 mean?
貞 (zhēn) means virtuous, chaste, pure; loyal. A common word with it is 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn), meaning "loyal and dependable".
How do you pronounce 貞?
貞 is pronounced zhēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 貞?
The radical of 貞 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 貞 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 貞?
貞 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 贞, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 贞 look different from 貞?
贞 is the simplified form used in mainland China, where the 貝 part becomes 贝. Both are pronounced zhēn and mean the same thing.
Is 贞 used in names?
Yes. 貞 appears in given names, especially older women's names, because it suggests virtue and faithfulness. It is less common in names for younger generations.