忠 (zhōng) — loyal, devoted, faithful

Definition

Bound form meaning 'loyal, faithful' — almost always paired with 诚 or 实 (忠诚, 忠实). Not used alone; the standalone 'loyalty' noun is 忠诚 or 忠心.

bound form
loyaldevotedfaithful
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā duì guó jiā fēi cháng zhōng chéng.
    He is very loyal to his country.
  • 。
    Zhè zhī gǒu duì zhǔ rén hěn zhōng shí.
    This dog is very faithful to its owner.
  • 。
    Tā yì shēng dōu zhōng yú zì jǐ de shì yè.
    He was loyal to his career his whole life.

Origin

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
中
中zhōng忠zhōng
Same sound today

忠 pairs 心, meaning heart, with 中, which gives its sound.

Appears in
Personality & Traits

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