信义 (xìn yì) — good faith, faithfulness, trustworthiness, honor (in keeping promises and obligations)

Definition

信义 (xìn yì) means keeping one's word in good faith — loyalty to promises and obligations, stronger and more formal than 信任 (xìnrèn, 'trust'). Often used with 讲 or 重 to describe upright people or business dealings.

noun
good faithfaithfulnesstrustworthinesshonor (in keeping promises and obligations)

Examples

  • 信义，。
    Tā wèi rén jiǎng xìn yì, dà jiā dōu xìn rèn tā.
    He acts in good faith; everyone trusts him.
  • 信义。
    Zuò shēng yi bì xū jiǎng xìn yì.
    In business, you must keep your good faith.
  • 信义，。
    Tā hěn zhòng xìn yì, cóng bù shí yán.
    He values integrity and never breaks his word.

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.

信xìntrust
义yìhonor

信 means trust or keeping promises, and 义 means honor or obligation; together they mean good faith and faithfulness.

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
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.

Open 信 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

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