贞 (zhēn) is a Chinese character meaning “loyal and steadfast”. It is written from ⺊ (vertical mark above a short horizontal) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “loyal; faithful”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
⺊ + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿱⺊贝，2+4 笔已对照 hanzi-writer-data 共 6 笔核验）；非字源解释
Memory aid
A divination mark (⺊) standing above a cowrie shell (贝): once the answer is paid for, you hold to it — steadfast and loyal.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 忠贞zhōng zhēnloyal and steadfast贞 = zhēn
- 坚贞jiān zhēnfirm and unyielding贞 = zhēn
Go deeper
All readings
loyal; faithful
loyal and steadfast; faithful; of unshaken integrity
坚定不移，始终如一；有节操。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 忠贞zhōng zhēnloyal and steadfast贞 = zhēn
- 坚贞jiān zhēnfirm and unyielding贞 = zhēn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贞 mean?
贞 (zhēn) means loyal and steadfast; faithful; of unshaken integrity.
How do you pronounce 贞?
It is pronounced zhēn.
What parts is 贞 made of?
⺊ (vertical mark above a short horizontal) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿱⺊贝，2+4 笔已对照 hanzi-writer-data 共 6 笔核验）；非字源解释. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贞 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贞?
贝. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 贞?
Common ones are 忠贞 and 坚贞. The reading of 贞 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.