HSK 2
真
zhēn
very, truly
Structure
Subject + 真 + Adjective / Psychological Verb (+ 啊)
How it works
The word '真' (zhēn) is an adverb used to express an exclamation or a strong emotional reaction, meaning 'really' or 'truly'. It is almost always followed by an adjective or a psychological verb and is frequently paired with the exclamation particle '啊' (a) at the end of the sentence.
Examples
你的房间真干净！
Nǐ de fángjiān zhēn gānjìng!
Your room is so clean!
今天真冷啊！
Jīntiān zhēn lěng a!
It is really cold today!
我真喜欢这本书。
Wǒ zhēn xǐhuān zhè běn shū.
I really like this book.
Common mistakes
Do not use '真' (zhēn) in a simple objective statement or comparison; it is strictly for subjective exclamations. For objective degree, use '很' (hěn) instead.
Tip
Think of '真' as the English 'so' or 'truly' used when you are surprised or impressed. If you find yourself wanting to add '啊' at the end, '真' is likely the correct choice.
More HSK 2 grammar
See 真 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
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