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祯 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
zhēnlucky, auspicious; a good omeng, 10 strokes, radical 礻, rank #57474, Very Hard
zhēn(zhen1) T1
  1. 1lucky, auspicious; a good omen
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(禎)zhēn(zhen1)

The character 祯 (zhēn) refers to something that is auspicious or lucky, often used in contexts relating to good fortune or positive omens. It is commonly found in traditional Chinese culture, especially during celebrations or significant events where blessings are sought.

Strokes10RadicalFrequency#57474DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, auspiciousness is deeply valued, especially during festivals like Lunar New Year, where terms like 祯 are used to wish for prosperity and good luck in the coming year.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'genie' (sounds like 'zhēn') that grants wishes for good luck. The top part of the character resembles the roof of a house, symbolizing protection, while the bottom part suggests 'blessing' from above, emphasizing the idea of receiving good fortune.

Meanings of 祯

zhēn(zhen1)
1lucky, auspicious; a good omen
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 祯

Simplified
Traditional
10Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 祯

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AI Study Notes for 祯

Quick Contrast

吉 (jí) - use 祯 for more specific auspicious connotations related to blessings, while 吉 is broader, encompassing general good luck.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'genie' (sounds like 'zhēn') that grants wishes for good luck. The top part of the character resembles the roof of a house, symbolizing protection, while the bottom part suggests 'blessing' from above, emphasizing the idea of receiving good fortune.

Usage Notes

Typically used in formal or literary contexts, 祯 is often paired with other characters to describe good fortune, such as in phrases for weddings or festivals. Learners should be careful with the tone, as it is pronounced with a high level tone (zhēn) to convey its meaning correctly.

HSK Study Tips

Although not currently included in HSK levels, students should recognize 祯 as a character associated with themes of luck and auspiciousness, connecting it with other related characters like 福 (fú, luck) and 喜 (xǐ, joy). Focus on its usage in traditional contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, auspiciousness is deeply valued, especially during festivals like Lunar New Year, where terms like 祯 are used to wish for prosperity and good luck in the coming year.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 祯 with similar-sounding characters like 真 (zhēn, true), leading to incorrect meanings in sentences. For example, saying '这件事很真' (This matter is very true) when they meant to convey that it is very lucky.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 祯

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Etymology of 祯

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

spirit

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 祯?

Decomposition of 祯

IDS Structure⿰礻贞
Full Character
=
shi4
left
zhen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 祯?

Write 祯

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 祯

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, auspiciousness is deeply valued, especially during festivals like Lunar New Year, where terms like 祯 are used to wish for prosperity and good luck in the coming year.

Word Family of 祯

Words Containing This Character4
zhēnlucky
崇祯Chongzhen, reign name of last Ming emperor (1628-1644)崇禎
徐祯卿Xu Zhenqing (1479-1511), Ming writer, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南四大才子徐禎卿
沈葆祯Shen Baozhen (1820-1879), Qing Minister of the Navy, founded Fuzhou Naval College 船政學堂|船政学堂[Chuán​zhèng​Xué​táng] in 1866沈葆禎
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 祯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 祯

No, it is more frequently found in literary texts or during special occasions.