Kilo Lingo

(zhèng míng) - to prove; proof, certificate in Mandarin

zhèngmíng

Traditional: 證明

Line drawing of 证明
Coloured illustration of 证明
HSK 4
#656 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

to prove; proof, certificate

Word origin

证明 (zhèngmíng) 'to prove, proof' joins 证 (zhèng, 'to certify') and 明 (míng, 'bright, clear'). 证 (traditional 證) has the 讠/言 speech radical with a phonetic; 明 is an ideographic compound of 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), the two bright bodies, hence 'bright, clear'.

Origin
compound
Root
证 (讠 speech radical + phonetic) + 明 (míng, 日 sun + 月 moon, 'bright')

Stroke order

Stroke order for 证

Stroke order for 明

Examples

He proved his ability.

I need a certificate.

The facts prove she was right.

Please prove that this is true.

The data proved his theory.

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This word is part of lesson 14.