How to Write 诚 (chéng) — Meaning “sincere; honest”

Imagine a person speaking (讠) honestly to "become" (成) trustworthy. The word "success" in 成 reminds you that being sincere helps you succeed in relationships. Picture someone saying truthful words to achieve a goal.

The left radical 讠 must be written with a curved stroke that goes down and hooks to the right, not a straight line. The right side 成 has a diagonal slash (撇) that starts high and cuts through the horizontal strokes. Many learners make the radical too wide or forget the hook at the end of the speech radical.

诚 (sincere) shares the 讠 radical with 讲 (jiǎng, to speak) and 讳 (huì, to avoid mentioning). But 诚 has 成 on the right, while 讲 has 井 (well) and 讳 has 韦 (leather). Visually, 诚's right side is taller and more closed than 讲's open shape, and 讳's right side has a vertical stroke that 诚 lacks.

诚 appears in common words like 诚实 (honest), 真诚 (sincere), and 诚心 (wholeheartedness). It is used to describe a person's moral character or to express genuine intentions, such as in 诚心诚意 (sincerely and earnestly). In Chinese culture, being 诚 is a core Confucian value, emphasizing inner truthfulness in words and actions.

Common words containing 诚 include: 诚实 (chéng shí) — honest; truthful; 真诚 (zhēn chéng) — sincere; genuine; 诚心 (chéng xīn) — sincerity; wholeheartedness.