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甄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
甄zhēnsurname Zhenunknown, 13 strokes, radical 瓦
甄zhēnto grade, to examine, to discern; surnamenr, 13 strokes, radical 瓦
甄zhēnto evaluateunknown, 13 strokes, radical 瓦
zhēn(Zhen1)zhen T1
  1. 1surname Zhen
  2. 2to grade, to examine, to discern; surname
Also a Chinese surname, Zhen — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

甄zhēn(Zhen1)

The character 甄 (zhēn) primarily means to grade, examine, or discern, often in contexts involving evaluation or assessment. It can also be a surname in Chinese culture, commonly found as Zhen. Usage can vary from formal settings, such as academic evaluations, to informal discussions about discerning qualities or characteristics.

Strokes13Radical瓦
Cultural note

The character 甄 is often associated with the traditional practice of discerning quality in various fields, such as tea tasting or art appraisal, reflecting the Chinese value placed on careful evaluation and appreciation of quality.

Memory tip

Imagine a judge carefully examining a gem (the radical '玉' represents jade or gem) to discern its value. The sound 'zhēn' can remind you of 'gem'—both valuable and needing careful evaluation.

Meanings of 甄

zhēn(Zhen1)
1to grade, to examine, to discern; surname
2to evaluate
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 甄

甄Simplified
13Strokes
瓦Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 甄

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Podcast: 甄

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AI study notes for 甄

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 甄 with similar characters like 鉴 (jiàn), which also means to evaluate but carries a different nuance. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, so be mindful of the setting when using it. Common collocations include 甄别 (zhēnbié), meaning to identify or distinguish.

HSK Study Tips

While 甄 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to HSK Level 4 words like 鉴定 (jiàndìng, to identify) and 评价 (píngjià, to evaluate). Students should focus on recognizing its usage in formal contexts and practice constructing sentences that involve evaluation.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 甄 with 诊 (zhěn, to diagnose), leading to incorrect sentences like 诊清楚 (zhěn qīngchǔ, meaning 'to diagnose clearly') instead of using 甄 for discernment contexts. Remember, 甄 is about evaluation, not medical diagnosis.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 甄

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Etymology of 甄

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 瓦 represents the meaning and 垔 represents the sound.

Memory hint

pottery

Semantic (meaning)瓦
+
Phonetic (sound)垔
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

甄 = 瓦 + 垔. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 甄

IDS Structure⿰垔瓦
甄Full character
=
垔yin1
left
瓦wa3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 甄?

How to say surname Zhen in Chinese

“surname Zhen” in Chinese is甄zhēn

The character 甄 (zhēn) primarily means to grade, examine, or discern, often in contexts involving evaluation or assessment. It can also be a surname in Chinese culture, commonly found as Zhen. Usage can vary from formal settings, such as academic evaluations, to informal discussions about discerning qualities or characteristics.

When to use 甄

Learners often confuse 甄 with similar characters like 鉴 (jiàn), which also means to evaluate but carries a different nuance. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, so be mindful of the setting when using it. Common collocations include 甄别 (zhēnbié), meaning to identify or distinguish.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 甄 with 诊 (zhěn, to diagnose), leading to incorrect sentences like 诊清楚 (zhěn qīngchǔ, meaning 'to diagnose clearly') instead of using 甄 for discernment contexts. Remember, 甄 is about evaluation, not medical diagnosis.

Write 甄

甄

Practice writing 甄 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 甄

甄 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 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 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

除____选适宜投资的科技开发项目外,创业资金公司并为获得投资的公司提供管理 、 市场推广和建立网络等方面的意见.

Besides selecting technological ventures for investment, the firms provide management, marketing and networking advice to the investee companies.

Example sentences for 甄 (1)

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1
除甄选适宜投资的科技开发项目外,创业资金公司并为获得投资的公司提供管理 、 市场推广和建立网络等方面的意见.

chú zhēn xuǎn shìyí tóuzī de kējì kāifā xiàngmù wài, chuàngyè zījīn gōngsī bìng wèi huòdé tóuzī de gōngsī tígōng guǎnlǐ、 shìchǎng tuīguǎng hé jiànlì wǎngluò děng fāngmiàn de yìjiàn.

Besides selecting technological ventures for investment, the firms provide management, marketing and networking advice to the investee companies.

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Word Family of 甄

Words containing this character6
甄选to select甄選
甄zhēnto evaluate
甄别to screen甄別
甄审to screen and select (candidates etc)甄審
甄陶to make sth of clay
甄录to employ by an examination甄錄
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 甄

What does 甄选 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 甄

甄 focuses more on discerning or examining qualities, while 鉴 is about appraisal or identification, often used in more formal contexts.

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