About
The character 信, in its traditional form, is structurally composed of the radical for “person” (人) placed beside the character for “speech” or “word” (言), a direct visual composition that communicates its core ancient meaning of a person standing by their word, thereby embodying trustworthiness and sincerity. This conceptual link between human speech and integrity formed the foundational meaning, which centered on honesty, good faith, and credibility in one's promises and declarations. Over the centuries, this primary sense of trust and belief naturally extended into related domains, giving rise to meanings such as having faith or confidence in something, as well as denoting a tangible token of that trust in the form of a letter or message. The semantic field of the character thus expanded organically from denoting personal truthfulness to encompass broader concepts of trust, belief, and reliable communication, while its essential graphic representation has remained consistent in illustrating its fundamental human-centric etymology.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我写信给你。
他收到一封信。
我相信他说的话。
我收到一条信息。
他有信心成功。
如果你相信我，就告诉我真相。
信用记录对贷款很重要。
在数字时代，信息安全至关重要。