How do you say "honest" in Chinese?

诚实

chéng shí

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "honest" is 诚实 (chéng shí).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Aim to hit chéng shí using "chéng" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "shí" pushed upward like a question (second tone).

Writing and usage

诚实 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

她给出了诚实的回答。

tā gěi chū le chéng shí de huí dá 。

She gave an honest answer.

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How to remember 诚实

Whisper "chéng shí" to yourself while picturing honest; the sound and the image will fuse after a few tries.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 诚实

How do you pronounce 诚实?

Aim to hit chéng shí using "chéng" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "shí" pushed upward like a question (second tone).

Is 诚实 formal or casual?

诚实 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 诚实 used in Chinese?

诚实 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 她给出了诚实的回答。 (She gave an honest answer.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Honest" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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