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March 24, 2026
振zhèn(zhen4)
The character 振 (zhèn) means 'to shake' or 'to vibrate' and is often used in contexts that involve movement or excitement. It can also imply a sense of rising up with spirit or energy, commonly seen in phrases related to motivation or empowerment.
Strokes10Radical扌Frequency#8155DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of '振' is often associated with inspirational speeches or movements where leaders rally people to rise up and take action, reflecting the importance of motivation in achieving collective goals.
Memory Tip
Imagine a drum (the radical '木' represents a tree, like the wood of a drum) that you shake vigorously to create sound. The action of shaking or vibrating the drum brings energy and excitement to a gathering, helping you remember both the meaning and the pronunciation of 'zhèn'.
Meanings of 振
zhèn(zhen4)
1to shake
2to flap
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 振
振Simplified
10Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#8155Frequency Rank
Podcast: 振
Podcast: 振
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AI Study Notes for 振
Quick Contrast
振 (zhèn) vs 摇 (yáo) — choose 振 when emphasizing a vigorous or spirited shaking, while 摇 refers to a gentler or more rhythmic movement.
Usage Notes
The character is often used in both formal and informal contexts but can be more commonly found in literary or motivational speech. Be careful not to confuse it with characters that mean 'to tremble' or 'to shiver', which carry different nuances.
HSK Study Tips
While 振 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it can be connected to other words about movement or excitement at higher levels. Focus on its usage in combination with other characters to create phrases that express energy or motivation.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 振 with 震 (zhèn), which means 'to tremble' or 'to shake violently'. For example, saying '我很震' instead of '我很振' when trying to express excitement is incorrect; use '我很振奋' instead.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 振
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Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 辰 represents the sound.
1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
2The sound half辰 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayhand
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 振? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 振?
Decomposition of 振
IDS Structure⿰扌辰
振Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
辰chen2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 振?
How to say to shake in Chinese
“to shake” in Chinese is振zhèn
The character 振 (zhèn) means 'to shake' or 'to vibrate' and is often used in contexts that involve movement or excitement. It can also imply a sense of rising up with spirit or energy, commonly seen in phrases related to motivation or empowerment.
When to use 振
The character is often used in both formal and informal contexts but can be more commonly found in literary or motivational speech. Be careful not to confuse it with characters that mean 'to tremble' or 'to shiver', which carry different nuances.
振 or something close to it
振 (zhèn) vs 摇 (yáo) — choose 振 when emphasizing a vigorous or spirited shaking, while 摇 refers to a gentler or more rhythmic movement.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 振 with 震 (zhèn), which means 'to tremble' or 'to shake violently'. For example, saying '我很震' instead of '我很振' when trying to express excitement is incorrect; use '我很振奋' instead.
Write 振
振
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Practice writing 振 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 振
振 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
他领受了坚____礼，成为英国国教会的一员。
He was confirmed as a member of the Church of England.
Common Confusions with 振
振vs震
zhèn
Similar pronunciation and meaning; different character.
Exercise 1 of 1
Spot the Difference
Which character means "to shake"?
or
Example Sentences for 振 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他领受了坚振礼，成为英国国教会的一员。
tā lǐng shòu le jiān zhèn lǐ， ， chéng wéi yīng guó guó jiào huì de yī。
He was confirmed as a member of the Church of England.
2
她重振旗鼓去开创自己的事业了。
tā zhòng zhèn qí gǔ qù kāi chuàng zì jǐ de shì yè le。
She dusted herself down and left to build her own career.
3
这是个令人振奋的消息。
zhè shì gè líng rén zhèn fèn de xiāo xī。
This is heartening news.
4
然后我想起了那张支票，这让我精神大振。
rán hòu wǒ xiǎng qǐ le nà zhāng zhī piào， ， zhè ràng wǒ jīng shén dà。
Then I remembered the cheque, which cheered me up.
5
你总能使我振作起来。
nǐ zǒng néng shǐ wǒ zhèn zuò qǐ lái。
I can always count on you to cheer me up.
6
他现在似乎失去了勇气，但愿他能很快重新振作起来。
tā xiàn zài sì hū shī qù le yǒng qì， ， dàn yuàn tā néng hěn kuài zhòng xīn zhèn zuò qǐ。
Courage seems now to have deserted him. May it quickly reappear.
