信
trust, believe
At a glance · 信
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
信字小篆从人从言，会意为人言可信，本义为诚实、信用。甲骨文未见。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
信本义为诚信、信任、书信。
Structure
会意字，从人从言，表示人言可信。
At a glance
Pinyinxìn
Radical亻
Strokes9
UnicodeU+4FE1
Character type会意
Theme德行
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
trust, believe
Xin is an associative character of person and words, meaning trust and faith.
Français
confiance, croire
Xin est un caractère associatif de personne et parole, signifiant confiance et croire.
Español
confianza, creer
Xin es un carácter asociativo de persona y palabra, significa confianza y creer.
العربية
ثقة، يصدّق
شين حرف تركيبي لشخص وقول، يعني الثقة والتصديق.
Русский
доверие, верить
Синь — ассоциативный знак человека и слов, означает доверие и верить.
Common words
- 信用xìn yòngcredit
- 相信xiāng xìnbelieve