贞 zhēn virtuous
virtuous; chaste; pure; loyal
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram · 假借 borrowed for its sound
A drawing of the thing it means.
The oldest form is a cooking pot on legs, borrowed for its sound to write to divine; later a divining mark went on top and the pot became a shell.
用法
- Chaste/faithful/loyal: 忠贞 (zhōngzhēn) faithful and steadfast (忠贞不渝 unswervingly loyal), 贞洁 (zhēnjié) chaste, 贞操 (zhēncāo) chastity/moral integrity.
- 坚贞 (jiānzhēn) means staunch/unyielding (坚贞不屈). Historically weighted toward female chastity; carries a traditional moral flavor.