信

信 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+7, 9 strokes, cangjie input 人卜一口 (OYMR), four-corner 2026₁, composition ⿰亻言)

• 㜃, 𭡩, 𪲼, 𰟁, 𬒘, 𠒷, 𧪄, 𬦿, 𣣢, 𪝮, 𦴩, 𫠻

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 105, character 25
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 707
• Dae Jaweon: page 224, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 165, character 1
• Unihan data for U+4FE1

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *hljins): phonetic 人 (OC *njin) + semantic 言 (“words”).^{[字源 1]} Shuowen interprets it as an ideogrammic compound.

Schuessler (2007) reconstructs the Old Chinese minimally as *sin and suggests possible derivation from 允 (OC *winʔ, “to trust; to be true”).

Alternatively, Sagart and Baxter (2012) reconstruct *s-niŋ-s (*s-ni[ŋ]-s in Baxter and Sagart, 2014) and suggest a derivation from 仁 (OC *niŋ, “kind”) with the prefix *s-, probably used to increase its valency.

信

1. true; accurate; verifiable
2. truly; indeed

   • 信可樂也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     信可乐也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 353 CE, Wang Xizhi, Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion

     Xìn kě lè yě. [Pinyin]

     Truly, what an enjoyable occasion it was!

3. trustworthy
4. to believe; to trust in something

   我才不信呢。  ―  Wǒ cái bù xìn ne.  ―  I don't believe it/you.

   信任  ―  xìnrèn  ―  to trust

5. to believe in (a faith); to be religious in

   我父親信佛教。／我父亲信佛教。  ―  Wǒ fùqīn xìn fójiào.  ―  My father is a Buddhist. (lit. My father believes in Buddhism.)

   • 這人來，為要作見證，就是為光作見證，叫眾人因他可以信。 [MSC, trad.]
     这人来，为要作见证，就是为光作见证，叫众人因他可以信。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 新標點和合本 (Chinese Union Version with New Punctuation), 約翰福音 (John) 1:7

     Zhè rén lái, wèi yào zuò jiànzhèng, jiù shì wèi guāng zuò jiànzhèng, jiào zhòngrén yīn tā kěyǐ xìn. [Pinyin]

     The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

6. trust; confidence; faith

   因信稱義／因信称义  ―  yīn xìn chēngyì  ―  to be justified by faith

   • 2009, “讓我 [Let Me]”, 謝鴻文 [Steve Hsieh] (lyrics)‎^[1]performed by 磐石現代樂團 [Music Stone]:

     祢用重價救贖我，使我脫離罪惡河，叫我這不配的人憑信得救。 [MSC, trad.]
     祢用重价救赎我，使我脱离罪恶河，叫我这不配的人凭信得救。 [MSC, simp.]

     Mí yòng zhòngjià jiùshú wǒ, shǐ wǒ tuōlí zuì'è hé, jiào wǒ zhè bùpèi de rén píng xìn déjiù. [Pinyin]

     Allowing me, this unworthy person, to be saved by faith.

7. at will

   信口雌黃／信口雌黄  ―  xìnkǒu cíhuáng  ―  to make irresponsible remarks (lit. to correct someone with at will)

8. letter (written communication) (Classifier: 封 m c mn)
9. message; information; news

   信息  ―  xìnxī  ―  message

10. evidence

    信物  ―  xìnwù  ―  token, keepsake

11. courier; messenger
12. short for 信州 (Xìnzhōu)
13. (mineralogy) short for 信石 (xìnshí, “arsenolite”)
14. a surname, Xin

• (true):

• (to believe):

• (to believe in a faith): 信仰 (xìnyǎng)
• (letter):

• (message):

• (information):

• (evidence):

• (courier): 信使 (xìnshǐ)
• (arsenolite): 砒霜 (pīshuāng), 信石 (xìnshí)

Others:

• → Vietnamese: tin

Via 假借 (jiǎjiè, “borrowing”).

信

1. (literary) obsolete form of 申 (shēn): to express; to state

   • 《春秋》貴義而不貴惠，信道而不信邪。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     《春秋》贵义而不贵惠，信道而不信邪。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Guliang, circa 206 BCE– 9 CE

     “Chūnqiū” guì yì ér bù guì huì, shēn dào ér bù shēn xié. [Pinyin]

     The Spring and Autumn Annals treasure deeds of righteousness rather than the dispensation of favour, and advocate the just principles instead of corrupt ways.

2. (literary) obsolete form of 伸 (shēn): to extend

   • 尺蠖之屈，以求信也。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Chǐhuò zhī qū, yǐ qiú shēn yě. [Pinyin]

     An inchworm contracts, so that it may extend.

3. alternative form of 身, used in 信圭 (shēnguī)

• “信”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 羅竹風 [Luo, Zhufeng], editor (1986–1994), “信”, in 漢語大詞典 [Hanyu Da Cidian] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Shanghai: Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House, →ISBN
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00148

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: しん (shin, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: しん (shin, Jōyō)
• Kun: たより (tayori, 信り)、まかせる (makaseru, 信せる)、まこと (makoto, 信)
• Nanori: し (shi)、しが (shiga)、しな (shina)、しの (shino)、しぶ (shibu)、とき (toki)、のび (nobi)、のぶ (nobu)、まこと (makoto)、さね (sane)

• (Tokyo) しん [shíꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕĩɴ]

信(しん) • (shin) 

1. trust, faith

   信(しん)を置(お)く、信(しん)を得(え)る

   shin o oku, shin o eru

   to put one's trust (in something), to gain someone's trust

• 信(しん)じる (shinjiru), 信(しん)ずる (shinzuru): to believe; to trust; to believe in

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi(ː)n]
• Phonetic hangul: [신(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Wikisource

信 (eumhun 믿을 신 (mideul sin))

1. hanja form^? of 신 (“believe; trust”)

• 신용 (信用, sinyong)

信: Hán Nôm readings: tín, tin

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• Nom Foundation