shèn
adjective #18,407

Meanings

  1. 1 careful; cautious
  2. 2 prudent

Examples

HSK 3
Shèn yán shèn xíng.
Be careful with your words and actions.
HSK 7-9
Zuò juédìng yào shèn zhī yòu shèn.
When making decisions, be cautious and then more cautious.

Tips

usage
is literary and usually appears in set phrases: 谨慎 (cautious), 慎重 (careful/deliberate), 慎言 (careful with words). Rarely used alone in modern speech.

Components

radical
xīn
heart; mind (radical form)
Heart radical on the left - the upright side-form of , and also 's indexing radical. Marks it as an emotional/mental state: being careful and prudent is a matter of the heart. Same radical in , 怀, , .
phonetic
zhēn
true; real
Right side supplies the sound: zhēn to shèn with regular zh-/sh- alternation. It also adds semantic flavour - being prudent is being true to careful judgement. Same phonetic in (town), (fill), (top).

In Pop Culture

Shèn
Shen
League of Legends champion, the Eye of Twilight. A ninja tank from the Kinkou Order whose name ( = careful/prudent) fits his defensive, disciplined playstyle.

Stroke Order

shèn