认识 (rèn shi) — to know (a person); to recognize (something); to get to know (used when meeting for the first time)

Definition

认识 is for knowing PEOPLE and for recognizing things you've seen before. Use 知道 for knowing facts or information.

verb
to know (a person)to recognize (something)to get to know (used when meeting for the first time)

Examples

  • 认识。
    Wǒ rèn shi tā.
    I know him.
  • 认识？
    Nǐ rèn shi zhè ge zì ma?
    Do you recognize this character?
  • 认识。
    Wǒ rèn shi tā sān nián le.
    I have known him for three years.

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.

认rènrecognize
识shíknow

认 and 识 both mean know or recognize, together mean know someone or something.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 識; 识 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí識zhì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 識 pairs 言 (say) with 戠 as a sound part; the simplified 识 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 识 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 11000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsFriends & SocialThinking & Cognition

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