身份

shēnfèn
noun HSK 4 #1,013

Meanings

  1. 1 identity
  2. 2 status; capacity

Characters

One's allotted status — identity

Examples

Qǐng chūshì nǐ de shēnfènzhèng.
Please show your ID card.
Tā de zhēnshí shēnfèn shì shénme?
What is his real identity?
Tā yǐ jìzhě de shēnfèn cānjiā le huìyì.
She attended the meeting in her capacity as a journalist.

Tips

culture
身份证 (shēnfènzhèng, ID card) is essential in China — needed for train tickets, hotels, banking, and more. Every citizen gets one at age 16. The number is 18 digits long.
usage
身份 can mean both literal identity (who someone is) and social role/capacity (...身份 = in the capacity of...). 身份证 is the most common compound.

Stroke Order

shēn
fèn