How to say 'True' in Japanese | 真

word

Meaning

True

Reading

Kanji

真Truth

Explanation

The Japanese prefix '真 (しん)' means 'true' or 'genuine'. It is often used to emphasize the authenticity or seriousness of something. This prefix is commonly attached to nouns to create compound words that convey a sense of realness or purity. For example: true love「真の愛」(しんのあい). genuine pearl「真珠」(しんじゅ). It can also be used in contexts to indicate something is the 'real' or 'ultimate' version of a concept, such as in '真実 (しんじつ) (truth)' or '真剣 (しんけん) (seriousness, literally 'true sword')'. Note that '真' can also appear as a standalone kanji with different readings, but as a prefix, it is almost always read as 'しん'.

Part Of Speech

prefix

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

690

Composition

kanji

Handwriting