证 (zhèng) — certificate, ID card; proof, evidence
Definition
证 is a noun for a document — an ID card, certificate, or other paper that proves something. As a standalone word in speech it usually means 'ID/certificate'; for the abstract sense of 'proof, evidence' use 证据.
noun
certificateID cardproofevidence
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 。Zhè shì wǒ de xué shēng zhèng.This is my student ID card.
- 证。Zhè ge zhèng kě yǐ zhèng míng tā de shēn fèn.This certificate can prove his identity.
- 。Qǐng chū shì nǐ de shēn fèn zhèng.Please show your ID card.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.