信

xìn

亻 + 言

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

xìn (verb) to trust; to believe; to have faith in

xìn (noun) letter; mail; message

Etymology

Conveys trusting (信) what a person (人) says (言). 人 is also a sound component.

About

The character 信 combines 亻 (人, "person") and 言 ("speech"). 人 provides both the semantic idea of a person and a phonetic clue (xìn is related to rén). This pairing conveys that a person's words should be reliable, originally meaning trustworthiness and honesty. Over time, its senses broadened to include belief and faith, and it eventually became the standard word for a letter or mail.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我写信给你。

Wǒ xiě xìn gěi nǐ.

I write a letter to you.

他收到一封信。

Tā shōu dào yī fēng xìn.

He received a letter.

我相信他说的话。

Wǒ xiāngxìn tā shuō de huà.

I believe what he said.

我收到一条信息。

Wǒ shōu dào yī tiáo xìnxī.

I received a message.

他有信心成功。

Tā yǒu xìnxīn chénggōng.

He has confidence to succeed.

如果你相信我，就告诉我真相。

Rúguǒ nǐ xiāngxìn wǒ, jiù gàosù wǒ zhēnxiàng.

If you believe me, tell me the truth.

信用记录对贷款很重要。

Xìnyòng jìlù duì dàikuǎn hěn zhòngyào.

Credit record is important for loans.

在数字时代，信息安全至关重要。

Zài shùzì shídài, xìnxī ānquán zhìguān zhòngyào.

In the digital age, information security is crucial.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 言

Example Words