真知 (zhēn zhī) — true knowledge, genuine insight

Definition

Literary/abstract term for 'true knowledge' gained through insight or practice, not just book-learning. Almost always appears in set phrases like 真知灼见 ('keen insight').

noun
true knowledgegenuine insight
Easily confused

Examples

  • 真知。
    Shí jiàn shì jiǎn yàn zhēn zhī de wéi yī biāo zhǔn.
    Practice is the sole criterion for testing true knowledge.
  • 真知，。
    Tā yì shēng zhuī qiú zhēn zhī, cóng bù máng cóng.
    He pursued true knowledge all his life and never followed blindly.
  • 真知。
    Zhè běn shū ràng wǒ duì zhēn zhī yǒu le xīn de lǐ jiě.
    This book gave me a new understanding of true knowledge.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

真zhēntrue
知zhīknowledge

真 'true' and 知 'knowledge' combine to give genuine knowledge or insight.

Characters in this word

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →

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