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确认 (què rèn) — to confirm, to verify

Definition

确认 means 'to confirm or verify' something already known — e.g. an order, a time, an attendance. Lighter than 证实 or 验证 (which establish truth from evidence); to affirm a statement, use 肯定.

verb
to confirmto verify

Examples

  • 确认。
    Qǐng què rèn nǐ de dìng dān xìn xī.
    Please confirm your order information.
  • 确认。
    Wǒ men què rèn le míng tiān de huì yì shí jiān.
    We confirmed the meeting time for tomorrow.
  • 确认。
    Tā què rèn huì cān jiā zhè cì huó dòng.
    He confirmed he will attend this event.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

确quècertain
认rènrecognize

确 certain and 认 recognize together mean to verify.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 確; 确 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
隺
隺hè確què
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 確 combines 石, a rock, with 隺 for its sound; the idea is something rock-solid and certain. The simplified 确 is a shorthand.

Open 确 →

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 →
Appears in
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