Kanji for “truth”

Truth as the facts of a matter, or as a universal principle.

真実 shinjitsu

Closest natural translation · misunderstanding risk Low

Reading: shinjitsu — Common compound reading
About the reading: The ordinary word for the truth about something.
Literal meaning: Truth, the facts
What it suggests: What actually happened or what is actually the case, as opposed to a lie or a cover-up.
When to use it: For truth in the everyday sense of facts over falsehood.
On its own: Natural as a complete noun.
In compounds: Natural as the complete word 真実.
As a tattoo: Direct and unambiguous; it reads as honesty rather than philosophy.

真理 shinri

Related meaning, not a literal translation · misunderstanding risk Medium

Reading: shinri — Common compound reading
About the reading: A standard compound used in philosophy, religion and science.
Literal meaning: Truth (universal), principle
What it suggests: Truth as an absolute or a law of the universe, not the facts of a particular situation.
When to use it: For truth in a philosophical or spiritual sense.
On its own: Natural as a formal noun.
In compounds: Natural as the complete word 真理.
As a tattoo: Serious and abstract; it also reads as a woman's name, Mari.
Worth knowing: Means universal truth rather than the facts of a case, and doubles as the name Mari.

真 shin / makoto

Symbolic choice, not a literal translation · misunderstanding risk Medium

Reading: shin / makoto — On-yomi; also a very common given name
About the reading: Works in compounds; on its own it is read as a name far more often than as a noun.
Literal meaning: True, genuine
What it suggests: Genuineness itself — the quality of being real rather than the truth of a statement.
When to use it: For a compact symbol of authenticity.
On its own: Limited as a standalone noun.
In compounds: Very natural in 真剣 (serious) and 写真 (photograph).
As a tattoo: Strong and simple, but most Japanese readers will read it as the name Makoto.
Worth knowing: Read as the name Makoto or Shin before it is read as the word truth.

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