信任
xìnrèn
In Chinese, 'trust' is expressed as 信任 (xìnrèn).
信任 is used to express being confident in someone or something. It is a versatile word that can function as both a verb, meaning 'to trust' and a noun, meaning 'trust' or 'confidence'.
Meaning: to be confident (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 信 (xìn), meaning 'to believe' or 'message' and 任 (rèn), meaning 'to assign' or 'responsibility'.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between 信任 (xìnrèn) and 相信 (xiāngxìn). While 信任 refers to a deep, long-term trust in someone's character, 相信 is more commonly used for believing a specific fact or a statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a verb, 信任 can be used with a direct object, such as a person or an organization, without needing a preposition like 'in'.
How do you pronounce it?
xìnrèn
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, 信任 is often viewed as something earned through 'face' 面子. Losing face can instantly destroy a level of trust that took years to build.
- In classical Chinese, the concept of 信 was one of the five constant virtues of Confucianism, ranking trust as a fundamental pillar of a stable society.
- The character 信 is also the word for 'letter' or 'mail' in modern Chinese, creating a linguistic link between a written message and the truth of its content.
Examples in context
- 他们信任汤姆。They trust Tom.This sentence shows how to use 信任 with a person as a direct object.Tatoeba #5907509 by verdastelo9604, translation #2235922 by CK
- 不要相信任何人。Do not trust anyone.This sentence shows how to use 信任 in a negative command.Tatoeba #6097982 by xjjAstrus, translation #11277829 by Aphima
- 我们能信任他们吗？Can we trust them?This sentence shows how to use 信任 in a question.Tatoeba #6307277 by gumblex, translation #3327418 by CK
- 我相信你的能力。I trust in your abilities.
- 我们应该互相信任。We should trust each other.
- 这个消息很可信任。This information is trustworthy.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new project partner in the office.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你信任他吗？Nǐ xìnrèn tā ma?Do you trust him?
- 俊杰 Junjie我非常信任他。Wǒ fēicháng xìnrèn tā.I trust him very much.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们就放心了。Nà wǒmen jiù fàngxīn le.Then we can feel relieved.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他是个可靠的人。Shì de, tā shì gè kěkào de rén.Yes, he is a reliable person.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
