[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Character-Traits # 贞 zhēn loyal, faithful ## Components [[贝 bèi]] [[贝 (bèi)]] [[卜 bǔ]] [[卜 (bǔ)]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character **贞 (zhēn)** primarily means **chastity**, **faithfulness**, or **virtue**, especially in the context of moral integrity or loyalty. It is often used to describe someone's strong principles, fidelity, or moral uprightness, particularly in historical or formal contexts, such as "贞节" (zhēnjié), meaning **chastity** or **virtue**. ## History The character **贞 (zhēn)** is a **pictophonetic character**. Its composition involves elements that hint at its meaning. It combines **卜**, which represents the cracks formed on a tortoise shell when heated (used for divination), and **鼎**, a cauldron. This refers to the practice of heating tortoise shells on a cauldron to divine fortune or misfortune. In **seal script**, the character includes both **卜** and **贝**, where **贝** (shell) symbolizes the offering given to the diviner to perform the ritual. Over time, **真** was simplified to **贞**, but the core meaning remains. Originally, **贞** meant "divination" or "fortune telling." Over time, it took on extended meanings such as "uprightness" and "steadfastness." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[贞 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[贞 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[贞 sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[贞 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[贞 reg.svg]]