TongTong
Sign in

认字 (rèn zì) — to recognize / read (Chinese characters); to be literate

Definition

认字 means knowing how to read Chinese characters — being literate, not just speaking the language. It's a separable verb: 认 + 字, so 'recognize 2000 characters' is 认了两千多个字.

verb
to recognize / read (Chinese characters)to be literate

Examples

  • ，认字。
    Zhè hái zi gāng shàng xiǎo xué, jiù kāi shǐ xué rèn zì le.
    This child just started elementary school and is beginning to learn to read characters.
  • ，。
    Tā yǐ jīng rèn le liǎng qiān duō gè zì, kàn bào zhǐ méi wèn tí.
    He has already recognized over two thousand characters, so reading the newspaper is no problem.
  • 认字？？
    Nǐ rèn zì ma? néng bù néng bāng wǒ kàn kàn zhè fēng xìn?
    Can you read? Could you help me look at this letter?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

认rènrecognize
字zìcharacter

认 means to recognize, and 字 are written characters, so together they mean knowing how to read characters.

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
讠Written in full as言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén认rèn
Same sound today

The left part 讠 shows speech, and the right part 人 gives the sound.

Open 认 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.