贞 meaning and stroke order
Virtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
How to write 贞, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 贞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- chaste
How 贞 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: ⺊ (), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 贞
贞 is 卜-like ⺊ on top of 贝 (bèi, shell or valuables). Picture a small mark of honor placed on something precious: a person whose worth stays pure and unchanged is 贞 (zhēn).
贞 is a formal, literary character that mostly appears inside set words such as 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn, loyal) and 贞洁 (zhēnjié, chastity). It often describes steadfast loyalty to a person, a cause, or a country. Example: 他对国家忠贞不渝。(Tā duì guójiā zhōngzhēn bù yú.) He is unwaveringly loyal to his country.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 贞 (zhēn) with 侦 (zhēn, to investigate, as in 侦探 zhēntàn, detective), which adds the person radical 亻. They sound the same, so check whether the meaning is about virtue or about detective work.
Common words with 贞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
贞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 贞
Learning 贞 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 贞
How many strokes are in 贞?
贞 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贞 mean?
贞 (zhēn) means virtuous, chaste, pure; loyal. A common word with it is 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn), meaning "loyal and dependable".
How do you pronounce 贞?
贞 is pronounced zhēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 贞?
The radical of 贞 is ⺊. Dictionaries list 贞 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 贞?
The traditional form of 贞 is 貞. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 贞 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 贞 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 贞 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 贞 used in names?
Yes. 贞 appears in given names, especially older female names, because it suggests virtue and loyalty. You may also see it in historical titles and place names.
Do words like 贞操 and 贞洁 sound old-fashioned today?
Yes. 贞操 (zhēncāo) and 贞洁 (zhēnjié) carry traditional ideas about female chastity and can sound dated or loaded in modern conversation. 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn), meaning loyal, is more neutral and still common in formal writing.