誠

See also: 诚

誠	U+8AA0, 誠 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8AA0

← 誟
[U+8A9F]

CJK Unified Ideographs

誡 →
[U+8AA1]

誠	U+2F9CF, 誠 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F9CF

← 䛇
[U+2F9CE]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement

諭 →
[U+2F9D0]

Translingual

Han character

誠 (Kangxi radical 149, 言+6, 13 strokes, cangjie input 卜口戈竹尸 (YRIHS), four-corner 0365₀, composition ⿰訁成)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 1163, character 12
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 35497
Dae Jaweon: page 1628, character 6
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3963, character 5
Unihan data for U+8AA0

Unihan data for U+2F9CF

Chinese

trad.		誠
simp.		诚

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 誠
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (成) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
成	*djeŋ
城	*djeŋ
誠	*djeŋ
宬	*djeŋ
郕	*djeŋ
筬	*djeŋ
盛	djeŋ, djeŋs
珹	*djeŋ
晟	*djeŋs
墭	*djeŋs

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *djeŋ): semantic 言 (“speech”) + phonetic 成 (OC *djeŋ).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chéng (cheng²)

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄥˊ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sing⁴

(Taishan, Wiktionary): sen³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): sṳ̀n

(Hailu, HRS): shin

(Meixian, Guangdong): sen²
Northern Min (KCR): chěng
Eastern Min (BUC): sìng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): sing²
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chiâⁿ / sêng

(Teochew, Peng'im): sêng⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zen

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chéng
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄥˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chéng
  - Wade–Giles: chʻêng²
  - Yale: chéng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cherng
  - Palladius: чэн (čɛn)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sing⁴
  - Yale: sìhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sing⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: xing⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪŋ²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: sen³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sen²²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ̀n
  - Hakka Romanization System: siin^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: sin²
  - Sinological IPA: /sɨn¹¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: shin
  - Sinological IPA: /ʃin⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sen²
  - Sinological IPA: /sən¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chěng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰeiŋ²¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sìng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siŋ⁵³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: sing²
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: síng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬiŋ¹³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: sing²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬiŋ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiâⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsiânn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cviaa
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Singapore): /t͡siã²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siã¹³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siã²³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sêng
  - Tâi-lô: sîng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: seeng
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɪŋ²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /siɪŋ¹³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /siɪŋ²⁴/

Note:

chiâⁿ - vernacular;
sêng - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: sêng⁵
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sêng
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /seŋ⁵⁵/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶zen
  - MiniDict: zen^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zen
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zən²³/

Middle Chinese: dzyeng

Rime
Character	誠
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	常 (25)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	是征切
Baxter	dzyeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡ʑiᴇŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡ʑiɛŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡ʑiæŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡ʑiajŋ/
Li Rong	/ʑiɛŋ/
Wang Li	/ʑĭɛŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʑi̯ɛŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chéng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sing⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[d]eŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*djeŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	誠
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chéng
Middle Chinese	‹ dzyeng ›
Old Chinese	/*[d]eŋ/
English	sincere
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	誠
Reading #	1/1
No.	1419
Phonetic component	成
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	成
Old Chinese	/*djeŋ/

Definitions

誠

sincere; honest; true; genuine
indeed; truly; really
- 臣誠知不如徐公美。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  臣诚知不如徐公美。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE
  Chén chéng zhī bùrú Xú Gōng měi. [Pinyin]
  I really know I am not as handsome as Xu Gong.
(literary) if
- 趙誠發使尊秦昭王為帝，秦必喜，罷兵去。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  赵诚发使尊秦昭王为帝，秦必喜，罢兵去。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE
  Zhào chéng fā shǐ zūn Qín Zhāowáng wèi dì, Qín bì xǐ, bàbīng qù. [Pinyin]
  If Zhao dispatches messengers to honor King Zhao of Qin as the di, Qin will certainly be pleased, and will stop fighting and leave.
- 楚誠能絕齊，秦願獻商、於之地六百里。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  楚诚能绝齐，秦愿献商、于之地六百里。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
  Chǔ chéng néng jué Qí, qín yuàn xiàn Shāng, Yú zhī dì liù bǎi lǐ. [Pinyin]
  If Chu can sever ties with Qi, Qin will offer Chu the 600 lis of land between Shang and Yu.
(Southern Min) very

Compounds

Synonyms

(very):

Dialectal synonyms of 很 (“very”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		甚, 孔
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		很, 非常, 十分
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	挺, 很, 倍兒, 怪
	Taiwan	很, 好, 非常, 超, 蠻, 超級
	Malaysia	很
	Singapore	很, 蠻, 非常
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	挺, 很, 傻, 老, 倍兒, 齁兒
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	挺, 楞
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	很
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	很, 好
	Chongqing	很
	Wuhan	蠻, 很
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	蠻, 稀, 很
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	很
Cantonese	Guangzhou	好, 非常之
	Hong Kong	好, 非常, 非常之, 超, 勁, 十分之, 無敵
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	好
	Taishan	好, 十分之
	Yangjiang	好
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	好
	Singapore (Guangfu)	好, 非常之, 非常
Gan	Nanchang	蠻
Hakka	Meixian	好, 刮, 已, 還, 異, 還 exclamation
	Huidong (Daling)	好
	Wuhua (Meilin)	好
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	頂
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	好
	Changting	野
	Wuping (Pingyu)	已, 刮
	Liancheng	樣
	Ninghua	好
	Ruijin	蠻
	Shicheng	蠻
	Shangyou (Shexi)	蠻
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	當, 已, 還
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	蓋, 盡, 還
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	當, 盡, 已, 還
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	當, 已, 還
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	當, 已, 還
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	足, 真, 實在
	Hong Kong	好
	Sabah (Bao'an)	好
	Kuching (Hepo)	很
	Singapore (Dabu)	好
Jin	Taiyuan	很, 挺
Northern Min	Jian'ou	盡
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	野, 真
	Singapore (Fuqing)	真
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	真
Southern Min	Xiamen	真, 野, 誠, 有夠, 萬代, 死人, 非常, 真正, 設汰, 一
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	真
	Quanzhou	真, 野, 誠, 有夠, 萬代, 死人, 設汰
	Jinjiang	野, 萬代
	Zhangzhou	盡, 蓋, 足, 足範, 有夠, 出奇, 極死, 見死, 死了了, 死人, 設汰, 設汰仔
	Zhao'an	很, 真, 死絕, 好, 非常
	Dongshan	真, 非常
	Taipei	真, 誠
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	真, 誠
	Kaohsiung	有夠, 足, 真, 誠, 蓋
	Yilan	有夠, 足, 誠, 盡
	Changhua (Lukang)	真, 誠
	Taichung	誠, 蓋, 足
	Tainan	有夠, 足, 真, 誠, 蓋
	Hsinchu	真, 誠
	Kinmen	足, 誠
	Penghu (Magong)	真, 誠
	Penang (Hokkien)	真, 誠, 真正
	Singapore (Hokkien)	真, 死爸, 真正, 誠, 足, 有夠
	Manila (Hokkien)	野, 真, 萬代, 真誠, 誠, 有夠
	Chaozhou	過, 好, 非常, 死爸
	Shantou	過, 鐵, 好, 很, 死爸, 死絕
	Shantou (Chenghai)	好, 死絕
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	好, 非常
	Jieyang	過, 好, 死爸, 死絕
	Bangkok (Teochew)	好
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	好
	Singapore (Teochew)	真, 死爸, 非常
	Wenchang	極, 但顧, 真
	Haikou	但顧
	Qionghai	但顧, 真
	Singapore (Hainanese)	但顧, 真
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	好, 蠻
Wu	Shanghai	蠻, 老, 邪氣, 老老, 瞎, 絕, 十分, 十二萬分, 非常, 非常之, 畢, 畢畢, 來得, 來得個, 煞, 交關, 十二分 rare, 窮 dated, 野 dated, 邪 dated
	Suzhou	蠻, 窮
	Hangzhou	蠻, 交關, 木佬佬, 冒
	Ningbo	交關, 蠻, 堪, 𣍐好, 𣍐派, 甮派, 出格, 木牢牢 rare, 猛 rare
	Zhoushan	交關, 蠻, 猛, 堪, 出格, 木牢牢 rare
	Wenzhou	蠻, 蒙, 顯
Xiang	Changsha	很, 蠻
Xiang	Shuangfeng	蠻

(if):

Dialectal synonyms of 如果 (“if”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		若, 假, 如, 使, 令, 苟, 向, 向使, 向令, 假令, 假使, 誠, 誠使, 倘, 儻, 當使
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		若, 如, 如果, 若果, 果若, 假如, 假若, 假使, 假設, 倘若, 倘或, 倘然, 倘使, 若是, 若然, 設若, 設使, 設令, 設或, 設
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	要是, 要
	Taiwan	要是, 要, 如果
	Malaysia	如果
	Singapore	如果
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	要是
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	要是
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	要是, 假比
Southwestern Mandarin	Wuhan	要是
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	要是, 要, 假使
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	要是, 倘此, 倘倘
Cantonese	Guangzhou	如果, 若果, 若然, 假使間
	Hong Kong	如果, 若果, 若然, 若然之, 假使, 假使間, 假如
	Macau	假如
	Taishan	如果, 若果, 假使
	Kaiping (Chikan)	若果
	Yangjiang	設若
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	如果
	Singapore (Guangfu)	如果
Gan	Nanchang	要是, 若是
Gan	Lichuan	假使
Hakka	Meixian	係話, 若係, 如果
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	若果, 係講, 係話
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	係講, 若係, 假使
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	係講, 係準, 係準講, 準講, 準假, 係若, 若係, 假使, 假詐
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	係講, 若係, 假使
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	準講, 可比, 假使, 係講, 若係, 若係講, 準若講
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	係講, 若係, 假使
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	若係講, 假使, 若講, 係講, 若係
	Kuching (Hepo)	假使
Jin	Taiyuan	要是
Northern Min	Jian'ou	來是, 如果
Northern Min	Pucheng (Shibei)	來是, 如果
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	儷是, 若還
Southern Min	Xiamen	設使, 若是, 若, 若欲是, 假若, 假若是, 欲, 欲是, 甲若, 甲若是
	Quanzhou	設使, 若是, 若, 若欲是, 假若, 假若是, 欲, 欲是
	Zhangzhou	設使, 若是, 若, 假若, 假若是, 欲, 欲是, 甲若, 甲若是
	Tainan	若是, 若準, 若, 假使, 設使
	Penang (Hokkien)	若是, 若準
	Singapore (Hokkien)	若是
	Manila (Hokkien)	若是, 若, 假使
	Chaozhou	若是
	Shantou	如果
	Jieyang	若, 若是
	Singapore (Teochew)	若是
	Wenchang	但見, 欲
	Haikou	麼是, 設如, 設使
Wu	Shanghai	要是, 如果, 假使, 倘然, 倘使, 是得
	Suzhou	要, 如果
	Wenzhou	若是, 若
Xiang	Changsha	要是
Xiang	Shuangfeng	要是, 要此

References

“誠”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Shinjitai	誠
Kyūjitai ^[1]	誠󠄁 誠+`󠄁`^? (Adobe-Japan1)
	誠󠄃 誠+`󠄃`^? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

誠

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

sincerity

Readings

Go-on: じょう (jō)^{←じやう (zyau, historical)}
Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
Kun: まこと (makoto, 誠, Jōyō)、まことにする (makoto ni suru, 誠にする)、まことに (makotoni, 誠に)、もし (moshi, 誠し)
Nanori: あき (aki)、あきら (akira)、かね (kane)、きよ (kiyo)、さと (sato)、さね (sane)、しげ (shige)、すみ (sumi)、たか (taka)、たかし (takashi)、たね (tane)、とも (tomo)、なが (naga)、なり (nari)、なる (naru)、のぶ (nobu)、のり (nori)、まこと (makoto)、まさ (masa)、み (mi)、もと (moto)、よし (yoshi)

Compounds

Etymology

Kanji in this term
誠
まこと Grade: 6
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 誠 – see the following entry.

【まこと】

[noun] truth; reality; fact; genuineness

[noun] sincerity; honesty; faithfulness

[adverb] (dated) truly, really, absolutely, indeed

[interjection] used for recalling information previously forgotten or sudden change of subjects: that's right

[proper noun] 誠, 允, 周, 学, 展, 道: a male given name

Alternative spellings
真, 眞, 実, 信, 允, 周, 学, 展, 道

(This term, 誠, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

^ “誠”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

誠 (eumhun 정성 성 (jeongseong seong))

hanja form^? of 성 (“sincerity”)

Compounds

충성 (忠誠, chungseong, “loyalty”)
성의 (誠意, seong'ui, “sincerity”)
성실 (誠實, seongsil, “sincerity, honesty”)

Vietnamese

Han character

誠: Hán Nôm readings: thành, thiêng

chữ Hán form of thành (“sincere; honest”).

[1] “誠”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

[1]