信 (xìn) — (noun) letter, mail; (verb) to trust, to believe

Definition

As a verb, 信 means 'to trust' a person (大家都信他) or 'believe' a claim (我不信他会来). As a noun, it's a written letter — broader than 邮件 (email/modern mail).

noun

lettermail

verb

to trustto believe

Measure word · 封

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

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

言言yánwords

Sound part声符shēngfú

人

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Appears in