认证 (rèn zhèng) — to authenticate (verify identity or credentials); to certify, to approve (officially confirm compliance with standards)

Definition

认证 (rènzhèng) means officially confirming something meets a standard or is genuine. Compared to 验证 (verify, the process), 认证 is the act of issuing the approval; it is more formal than 认可.

verb
to authenticate (verify identity or credentials)to certifyto approve (officially confirm compliance with standards)

Examples

  • 认证。
    Nǐ xū yào rèn zhèng nǐ de shēn fèn cái néng dēng lù.
    You need to authenticate your identity to log in.
  • 认证。
    Guó jiā rèn zhèng le zhè zhǒng xīn yào.
    The state certified this new medicine.
  • 认证。
    Gōng sī bì xū rèn zhèng suǒ yǒu yuán gōng de zī gé.
    The company must certify all employees' qualifications.

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.

认rènverify
证zhèngprove

Both 认 and 证 carry the idea of confirming and proving, giving the sense of authenticating or certifying.

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
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 →

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Business & Commerce

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