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How to Write 贞 (zhēn) — Meaning “chaste; loyal; pure”

zhēn HSK Level 7 6 strokes Radical: 贝

贞 (zhēn) means "chaste; loyal; pure" in Chinese. It has 6 strokes with the radical 贝, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 2.9/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 7% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 坚贞 (jiān zhēn), 贞洁 (zhēn jié), 忠贞 (zhōng zhēn).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 贞 with correct proportion and order.

Stroke order practice for 贞 - zhēn

Practice Writing 贞 (zhēn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 贞 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 贞

The character 贞 (zhēn) is written with 6 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 贝 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhēn (贞) Mean in Chinese?

贞 means chaste; loyal; pure.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 贞 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character贞
Pinyinzhēn (zhen)
Meaningchaste; loyal; pure
Strokes6
Radical贝
HSK Level7
Difficulty2.9/5

Origin of 贞

The character 贞 originally depicted a divination ritual: the top component 卜 (bǔ) represents a crack on an oracle bone, and the bottom 贝 (bèi) is a shell, which was used as a medium for divination in ancient China. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'divination' to 'chaste' and 'loyal', as divination was associated with seeking truth and faithfulness.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a loyal person (卜 like a standing figure) holding a precious shell (贝) tightly, symbolizing their pure and unchanging heart.

Common Words with 贞

坚贞 jiān zhēn
faithful / constant / loyal
贞洁 zhēn jié
chastity; purity
忠贞 zhōng zhēn
Loyal and steadfast

Example Sentences

他的意志非常坚贞。

tā de yì zhì fēi cháng jiān zhēn

His will is very faithful and unyielding.

这是一个关于贞洁的故事。

zhè shì yí gè guān yú zhēn jié de gù shì

This is a story about chastity.

他对国家非常忠贞。

tā duì guó jiā fēi cháng zhōng zhēn

He is very loyal to the country.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
贞 (current) zhēn 6 贝
贝 bèi 4 贝
负 fù 6 贝
贡 gòng 7 贝
Stroke order practice for 贞 - zhēn

Practice Writing 贞 (zhēn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 贞 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 贞

The character 贞 is composed of 卜 (divination) on top and 贝 (shell, ancient currency) on the bottom. Historically, it was used in oracle bone script for divination, and the meaning evolved to 'chaste, pure' — suggesting something of high value, like a shell determined by ritual. The radical 贝 indicates that the character relates to valuable or precious qualities.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 贝

賏yīng贝bèi负fù贡gòng财cái责zé贤xián败bài账zhàng货huò

Other 6-Stroke Characters

㐆yǐn㓞qià丞chéng丢diū乑yín乒pīng乓pāng乔qiáo乩jī买mǎi