Japanese kanji 真: truth, middle and emphasis

The idea

真 has 10 strokes; follow their order in the linked diagram. Read 写真（しゃしん） and 真ん中（まんなか） as complete words, because a character’s pronunciation depends on the word.

Examples

• 写真しゃしんを一枚いちまい撮とります。I take one photograph.
• この写真しゃしんはとてもきれいです。This photograph is very beautiful.
• 道みちの真まん中なかに猫ねこがいます。There is a cat in the middle of the road.
• りんごが真まっ赤かです。The apple is bright red.
• この道みちを真まっすぐ進すすんでください。Please go straight along this road.
• 妹いもうとはとても真面目まじめです。My younger sister is very serious.
• 真実しんじつを話はなしてください。Please tell me the truth.

Watch out

真 is しん in 写真 but ま in 真ん中. 真面目 is read まじめ as a whole word. Compare the shape of 真 with 直.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 写真 in hiragana. 「写真を一枚いちまい撮とります。」

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   しゃしん

   写真 is read しゃしん. In the example: I take one photograph. Here it means “photograph”.

2. Write the reading of 真ん中 in hiragana. 「道みちの真ん中に猫ねこがいます。」

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   まんなか

   真ん中 is read まんなか. In the example: There is a cat in the middle of the road. Here it means “middle”.

3. Write the missing kanji: 写＿［真／直］（しゃしん）.

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   真

   真 completes 写真, read しゃしん. In the example: I take one photograph. Here it means “photograph”.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 真 from memory and read 写真 and 真ん中 aloud. Then check the readings against the examples.