Meaning of 真正
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- genuine; real; true
- really; indeed
How to use 真正
真正 is often used before a noun with 的 to mean genuine or real, as in 真正的朋友 (zhēnzhèng de péngyou, a true friend). It can also go before a verb or adjective to mean truly. Example: 我真正明白了。(Wǒ zhēnzhèng míngbai le.) I really understand now.
真 (zhēn) means true and 正 (zhèng) means straight or proper. Something both true and straight is the real thing, not a fake or a copy.
Common mistake: Both syllables have similar sounds but different tones: zhēn is first tone and zhèng is fourth tone, so do not say zhēnzhēng. Also, in casual speech learners overuse 真正 where 真的 (zhēn de) sounds more natural, such as 真的吗 for 'really?'
真正 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
真 zhēn · really · 10 strokes
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正 zhèng · straight · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 真正.
| 真的 | zhēn de | really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | conscientious; earnest |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct; sound; right; proper |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 正好 | zhènghǎo | just (in time); just right |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
| 真实 | zhēnshí | true; real |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | formal; official |
| 天真 | tiānzhēn | naive; innocent |
| 改正 | gǎizhèng | to correct; to amend |
Questions about 真正
What does 真正 mean?
真正 (zhēnzhèng) means "genuine; real; true; really; indeed" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 真正?
真正 is made of 2 characters: 真 (10 strokes), 正 (5 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 真正 an HSK word?
Yes. 真正 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 真正 and 真的?
真的 is more casual and is common in speech for 'really' or 'is it true'. 真正 sounds a bit more serious and stresses that something is real in its true sense, like 真正的问题 (the real problem). You cannot say 真正吗 to mean 'really?'.
Do I always need 的 after 真正 before a noun?
Usually yes, as in 真正的爱 (true love). With some short set phrases, 的 can be dropped, but adding 的 is the safe choice for learners.