率真 (shuài zhēn) — forthright and sincere

Definition

Refers to a person or personality that is open, honest, and unaffected — saying what they think without pretence. Often pairs with 性格 ('personality').

adjective
forthright and sincere

Examples

  • 率真，。
    Tā zhè ge rén hěn shuài zhēn, xīn lǐ xiǎng shén me jiù shuō shén me.
    He is very forthright; he says whatever he thinks.
  • 率真，。
    Wǒ xǐ huan tā shuài zhēn de xìng gé, bù xū wěi.
    I like her forthright personality; she's not hypocritical.
  • 率真，。
    Tā shuō huà hěn shuài zhēn, cóng bù yǐn mán zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ.
    She speaks forthrightly and never hides her own thoughts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

率lǜcandid
真zhēngenuine

率 means candid and 真 means genuine; the two meanings together describe forthright sincerity.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

率 was drawn as a bird-catching net, with a stick above and below. In the form described, the lower horizontal stroke is missing, so the whole shape represents a rope.

Open 率 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →

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