认 (rèn): to recognize; to identify

Meanings

1 to recognize; to identify
2 to know; to be familiar with
3 to admit; to acknowledge

Characters

认

rèn

to recognize; to admit; to acknowledge

Examples

你认识她吗？

Nǐ rènshi tā ma?

Do you know her?

我认为这是对的。

Wǒ rènwéi zhè shì duì de.

I think this is correct.

他不认错。

Tā bú rèncuò.

He won't admit his mistake.

Tips

usage

认 is used in: 认识 (know/recognize), 认为 (think/believe), 认真 (serious/careful), 认错 (admit a mistake), 确认 (confirm). 认识 vs 知道: 认识 implies personal acquaintance.

Components

radical

讠 yán

speech (radical form)

Speech radical on the left — the simplified side-form of 言 (Kangxi #149), and also 认's indexing radical. Marks 认 as a verb of speech/cognition: recognising, identifying, admitting are all done in words. Same radical in 说, 话, 谢, 请, 语 — every saying-verb in the modern simplified set.

phonetic

人 rén

person

Right side 人 supplies the sound: rén → rèn with only a tone shift. No semantic contribution from 'person'; the role is sound only. The traditional form 認 had a much more elaborate phonetic 忍, replaced in simplification by the 2-stroke 人 to keep just the rén → rèn link.