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Quick answer: 信 (xìn) means trust, belief, confidence or sincerity, and can also mean a letter or message. 相信 is to believe, 信任 is to trust someone, 信心 is confidence, and 诚信 is integrity or good faith.

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Character guide

Chinese Symbol for Trust 信: Meaning, Belief & Tattoo

信 (xìn) means trust, belief, confidence or sincerity, and can also mean a letter or message. Compare 相信, 信任, 信心 and 诚信 before using it in a design.

Pinyin xìnStrokes 9Meaning trust, believe, confidence, letterTraditional 信Radical 人 9

What does 信 mean?

信 (xìn) means trust, belief, confidence or sincerity. It can also mean a letter or message in words such as 信件. Common compounds include 相信 (to believe), 信任 (to trust someone), 信心 (confidence) and 诚信 (integrity or good faith). The single character is broad; the complete word or sentence determines whether it is about belief, confidence, integrity or communication.

信, 相信, 信任, 信心 and 诚信

信 is the broad character. 相信 means to believe or accept something as true. 信任 usually means to trust a person, relationship or institution, and often has an interpersonal sense. 信心 means confidence in oneself, a plan or a future result. 诚信 means integrity, honesty or good faith. These words overlap, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence or name.

Is 信 a religious word?

Not automatically. 信 can relate to belief or faith in some compounds, but religious faith is usually expressed more specifically with words such as 信仰. The surrounding wording and context decide whether 信 means trust, belief, confidence or a letter. A design should not claim a religious meaning simply because the English word “faith” can be used loosely.

Is 信 used in Chinese names?

Yes. 信 can appear in names with associations of trustworthiness, sincerity, reliability or integrity. The surname, second character, tone and complete name still need checking with a fluent reader. A positive character meaning does not automatically make every name combination sound natural or appropriate.

Is 信 suitable for a tattoo?

Yes. With nine strokes, it has a practical scale and remains readable in regular script. It is a direct character for trust or confidence without using a religious claim. Keep the 人 radical and the right-side structure distinct, and check the stencil at the intended size.

Design notes

ScriptRegular script keeps the 人 radical and the right-side structure balanced.
ScaleIt works at moderate sizes without becoming crowded.
ContextTrust is a relational value, not a guarantee that others will be trustworthy.

What it does not mean

信 does not guarantee honesty, loyalty, religious faith or a trustworthy outcome. It can express trust, belief or integrity as a value or aspiration. The character should not be presented as proof that a person or institution can be trusted.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming 信 always means religious faith.
  • Using 信 when the intended phrase is 相信, 信任, 信心 or 诚信.
  • Choosing a stylised form that makes the 人 radical unclear.
  • Treating the character as proof that someone is trustworthy.
  • Ignoring the “letter or message” sense in a longer phrase.

Chinese trust character questions

What does 信 mean in Chinese?

信 (xìn) means trust, belief, confidence or sincerity, and can also mean a letter or message. The complete word determines which sense is intended.

What is the difference between 信, 相信, 信任 and 信心?

信 is the broad character. 相信 means to believe, 信任 means to trust a person or relationship, 信心 means confidence, and 诚信 means integrity or good faith.

Is 信 a religious word?

Not automatically. 信 can relate to belief or faith in some compounds, but religious faith is usually expressed more specifically with words such as 信仰. Context decides whether 信 means trust, belief, confidence or a letter.

Is 信 used in Chinese names?

Yes. 信 can appear in names with associations of trustworthiness, sincerity or reliability. The surname, second character, tone and complete name still need checking with a fluent reader.

Is 信 suitable for a tattoo or design?

It can work as a direct character for trust or confidence. With nine strokes, it is readable at moderate sizes, but the 人 radical and the right-side structure should stay distinct in the final stencil.

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Reference data

Character identity and the fields below are taken from the Unicode Unihan database (Unicode 18.0.0), the reference dataset published by the Unicode Consortium. Stroke counts follow the Unihan counting convention.

信U+4FE1 · 9 strokes (Unihan kTotalStrokes) · radical 人 9 · Mandarin xìn · Cantonese seon3 · “trust, believe; letter”

Source: Unicode Unihan database, Unicode 18.0.0, generated 2026-09-25.

Meaning in context

信 is not just “trust”

信 can sit inside several different meanings. The surrounding word decides whether it points to belief, trust, confidence, integrity, communication or finance. Treating the single character as a direct translation of every English sentence containing “trust,” “belief” or “faith” creates errors.

信 as a letter or message

信 can mean a letter or message. 一封信 is one letter, 写信 means to write a letter, and 信件 is a more formal word for letters or correspondence. In a phrase such as 收到你的信, the sense is the physical or written message, not a statement about confidence or faith.

信 in belief, confidence and integrity

相信 means to believe or accept something as true. 信任 usually means to trust a person, relationship or institution. 信心 means confidence in oneself, a plan or a future result. 诚信 means integrity, honesty or good faith. These are related, but they are not interchangeable in a sentence or a design.

信 in information, credit and modern compounds

信息 means information, a message or data. 信用 means credit, trustworthiness or the confidence a system places in someone, and 信用卡 means credit card. 信号 means a signal. These modern compounds show how far the character has moved from a simple English gloss such as “trust.” The complete word is the translation unit, not the single character alone.

How to choose the complete wording

If the intended meaning is “to believe,” use 相信. If it is trust between people, compare 信任. For confidence, use 信心; for integrity, use 诚信; for a letter, use 信 or 信件 depending on the sentence. A design that uses only 信 can express a broad value, but it will not identify which sense the wearer intends. Virtue 德, Goodness 善 and Benevolence 仁 are related ethical guides, not synonyms.

Trust, belief and letter questions

Does 信 mean letter?

Yes, 信 can mean a letter or message. 一封信 is one letter, 写信 means to write a letter, and 信件 is a more formal word for letters or correspondence.

What do 信用 and 信用卡 mean?

信用 means credit, trustworthiness or the confidence a system places in someone. 信用卡 means credit card. In these words, the trust-related sense has become part of a commercial or financial expression.

What does 信息 mean?

信息 (xìnxī) means information, a message or data. It is a common modern word, but it is not a direct translation of the single character 信 or of the English word trust.

Word comparison

Trust in Chinese: 信, 信任, 相信 and 信心

Trust in Chinese is built on 信 (xìn), a single character that covers trust, belief, confidence and even a letter. Because 信 is so broad, a design that needs “trust between people” and one that needs “self-confidence” should not stop at the same word. The table separates trust, belief, confidence, integrity and credit.

Trust in Chinese: 信, 信任, 相信, 信心 and related words
ChinesePinyinCore senseUse and caution
信xìnTrust, believe, confidence; letterThe single character for trust and belief; also means a letter or message.
信任xìnrènTo trust, to have confidence inThe ordinary word for trusting a person; a verb as well as a noun.
相信xiāngxìnTo believe, to be convincedTo believe that something is true; used for facts and claims, not people in the same way.
信心xìnxīnConfidenceConfidence in oneself or a plan; not trust in another person.
诚信chéngxìnIntegrity, honestyA moral quality of being honest and trustworthy; common in business contexts.
信用xìnyòngCredit, credibilityUsed for credit, trustworthiness or a credit record.
心xīnHeart, mindSounds like 信 but means heart or mind; a common mix-up in romanised names.

The xin meaning of 信 is trust, belief or confidence, and it can also mean a letter. If the intended meaning is trusting a person, 信任 is clearer; for believing a fact, 相信 fits; for self-confidence, 信心 is the right word. 心 (xīn) is a different character that only shares the sound.

Questions about trust in Chinese

What is trust in Chinese?

Trust in Chinese is built on 信 (xìn), and the ordinary word for trusting a person is 信任 (xìnrèn). The single character 信 covers trust, belief and confidence.

What is the xin meaning of 信?

The xin meaning of 信 is trust, belief or confidence; it can also mean a letter or message. It appears in 信任 (to trust), 相信 (to believe) and 信心 (confidence).

What is the difference between 信任, 相信 and 信心?

信任 means to trust a person, 相信 means to believe that something is true, and 信心 means confidence in oneself or a plan.

What is the difference between 信 and 心?

信 (xìn) means trust, belief or confidence, while 心 (xīn) means heart or mind. They sound similar but are different characters with different meanings.

What is 仁义礼智信?

仁义礼智信 is the set of five constant virtues — 仁 (benevolence), 义 (righteousness), 礼 (propriety), 智 (wisdom) and 信 (good faith). 五常 is the name of the set, meaning the five constants. The order is fixed, so 信 comes last; reordering them, for example writing 信 first to suit a layout, reads as a mistake rather than a design choice.

What does 人无信不立 mean?

人无信不立 means a person without good faith cannot stand. It is the generalised form of a saying from the 论语, where the original line is 民无信不立 — if the people lack trust, the state cannot stand — which is about government rather than individuals. Quote 民无信不立 if you want the source precisely.

What is the difference between 诚信 and 信?

诚信 (chéngxìn) is the modern standard word for honesty and integrity, used in business, exams and official documents. 信 on its own is broader: it covers trust, keeping faith, a letter (书信) and information. If you mean integrity as a formal quality, 诚信 is the specific word.

How many strokes does 信 have, and is it the same in traditional Chinese?

信 is commonly listed at 9 strokes and is built from 亻 (the person radical) plus 言 (speech) — a person standing by their word. Its radical is 亻, so it files with 仁 and 你 rather than under 言. It is written identically in simplified and traditional Chinese.

Why 信 carries weight

仁义礼智信: 信 as one of the five constant virtues

In English, "trust" is a feeling between people. In Chinese, 信 is also a moral constant — one of five, with a fixed position in the list. That is the reason the character appears on seals, in school halls and in personal mottos, and it is the part the English explanation leaves out. Without 五常 the character looks like a nice abstract noun; with it, it becomes a commitment.

信 and the four virtues it is listed with
ChinesePinyinEnglishWhat each one governs
仁rénbenevolence, humanenessHow you should regard other people. The first and widest of the five.
义yìrighteousness, what is rightDoing what is right even when it is not advantageous. Often paired with 仁.
礼lǐritual, proprietyConduct, ceremony and the forms of social order.
智zhìwisdom, discernmentThe capacity to judge. Not book knowledge but knowing what a situation calls for.
信xìntrustworthiness, good faithKeeping faith: that your word and your conduct match. The fifth of the five.
五常wǔ chángthe five constant virtuesThe name for the set. 常 means constant — these are not occasional duties but standing ones.
仁义礼智信rén yì lǐ zhì xìnthe five virtues recited in orderThe fixed sequence. When the five are written or quoted, 信 comes last, and changing the order is a mistake.
儒家RújiāConfucianismThe tradition the scheme belongs to. The 家 suffix marks a school of thought, as in 道家 and 法家.

Two practical consequences follow. First, because 信 sits inside 仁义礼智信, a design that uses it alone carries a fuller meaning than an English reader expects: it is not "I trust people" but "I hold to good faith". Second, the set is ordered, so if a design or a piece of calligraphy uses more than one of the five, the conventional order is 仁 → 义 → 礼 → 智 → 信. Reordering them, or writing 信 first because it suits the layout, reads as an error to a Chinese reader rather than a design choice.

The integrity formulas

人无信不立, 言而有信 and 一诺千金: 信 as a fixed saying

信 appears in several well-known sayings about keeping your word, and these are what actually circulate in Chinese. Each has a different source and a different weight, and they are quoted in different situations — on a business wall, in a school, as personal advice, or as a formal promise.

Common 信 sayings
ChinesePinyinMeaningWhere it fits
人无信不立rén wú xìn bù lìa person without good faith cannot standThe general form of a saying from 论语. Common as a motto in schools and on business walls.
民无信不立mín wú xìn bù lìif the people lack trust, the state cannot standThe original 论语 line, about government rather than individuals. If you want to quote the source precisely, this is the form.
言而有信yán ér yǒu xìnto keep one's wordFrom 论语 as well, said of how to deal with friends. An everyday standard rather than a slogan.
一诺千金yī nuò qiān jīnone promise weighs a thousand goldA promise kept at high cost. It praises the person who keeps it, so it is used about someone rather than by them.
信义xìnyìgood faith and righteousness信 joined with 义. A formal, slightly weighty term, often in written Chinese and names.
诚信chéngxìnhonesty and integrityThe modern standard word for integrity in business, exams and official documents.
信用xìnyòngcredit, credibilityUsed for financial credit, a credit record, and also for personal credibility.
朋友有信péngyou yǒu xìnfriends keep faith with each otherOne of the 五伦, the five basic relationships. 信 is the virtue that governs friendship specifically.

The pair 人无信不立 and 言而有信 are the two most useful to know, and they are not the same claim. 人无信不立 says good faith is a foundation — without it nothing you build holds. 言而有信 says something narrower and more testable: what you said is what you do. If you are having a motto checked, say which of the two you mean, because a Chinese reader will choose the wording on that basis. And note that 一诺千金 is praise aimed at someone else, so putting it on your own business card reads as self-congratulation rather than as a standard.

Before it is permanent

拼音, 笔画 and 纹身: the words for checking 信

信 is a simple character with a very large reach — trust, a letter, information, faith. That range is exactly why it needs checking before it is attached to a person, a brand or a body.

Vocabulary for checking the character
ChinesePinyinEnglishWhy it matters for 信
拼音pīnyīnromanisation, the reading信 is xìn. Writing "xin" without the tone does not distinguish it from other characters with the same letters.
声调shēngdiàotonexìn is fourth tone, a falling tone. It is not the same word as 心 (xīn), which many English speakers confuse with it.
笔画bǐhuàstroke count信 is commonly listed at 9 strokes, built from 亻 (person) and 言 (speech) — a person standing by their word.
部首bùshǒuradicalThe radical is 亻, the person radical, which is why 信 files with 仁, 你 and 他们 rather than under 言.
繁体fántǐtraditional characters信 is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese, so unlike 龙 / 龍 there is no form to choose between.
寓意yùyìthe meaning it is meant to carryWhat you want the character to say. Trust between people, integrity in business and faith in a religion are three different 寓意 carried by one character.
纹身wénshēntattooThe word for the tattoo itself. 我想纹一个信字 frames the question as a design decision rather than a translation one.
书信shūxìnletter, correspondenceThe formal word for a written letter, and the reason 信 on its own can also mean "mail" in modern Chinese — 寄信 is to post a letter.

Three questions get a usable answer. 这个字怎么读？ asks for the reading — for 信 confirm the tone, because 心 xīn is one tone away. 这个字多少笔画？ asks for the stroke count. 我想表达 integrity，用信字合适吗？ checks the sense, and it is worth asking, because 信 alone can be read as "letter" or "information" as easily as it can be read as "trust". If the design needs the virtue rather than the noun, say so in the brief. Compare 和 if the design is leaning toward a relational value rather than a personal one.

Writing and usage

Writing 信: 9 strokes and a person speaking

信 has 9 strokes and is built from 亻, the person radical, and 言, the speech radical. The combination suggests a person’s word or speech, which is closely connected to trustworthiness. Write 亻 first, then 言, and keep the horizontal strokes of 言 distinct at the final size. The character is the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.

信 is compact enough for a small tattoo, seal or logo, but the 言 component can become a dark block if the strokes are too close. Test the design at the intended size and in the intended material. If the character is combined with another, check the balance between the narrow 亻 and the wider 言.

信 as trust, letter, information and faith

  • Trust or belief: 相信 (xiāngxìn), 信任 (xìnrèn), 信心 (xìnxīn), 自信 (zìxìn), 诚信 (chéngxìn).
  • Letter or message: 信件 (xìnjiàn), 写信 (xiěxìn), 短信 (duǎnxìn), 信息 (xìnxī), 信号 (xìnhào).
  • Faith or religion: 信仰 (xìnyǎng), 信徒 (xìntú), 信教 (xìnjiào).
  • Credit: 信用 (xìnyòng), 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ).
  • Taking something as true: 信以为真 (xìn yǐ wéi zhēn), 难以置信 (nán yǐ zhìxìn).

A single 信 can point to trust, belief, a letter, information or faith. The complete word decides the sense. If the design is meant to represent trust, 信任 or 诚信 may be more precise than 信 alone.

信, 任, 认 and 相信

信 is the character for trust, belief, a letter or a message. 任 often means responsibility, to appoint or to let; 信任 combines 信 and 任 to mean trust in someone. 认 means to recognize or admit; 认为 means to believe or think, and 认识 means to know or recognize. 相信 is the ordinary verb for believe or trust. These are related but not interchangeable.

Using 信 in a name or design

信 is a traditional but recognisable name character associated with integrity, reliability and keeping one’s word. Check the surname and complete given name with a fluent reader. In a design, decide whether the intended meaning is trust, faith, belief, a letter or credit. If the design needs “trust” as a relationship, 信任 is clearer; if it needs integrity, 诚信 or 信 alone may fit. Avoid using a single character when the intended meaning depends on a compound.

Reference check for 信

Confirm the intended sense, check the full compound in a current dictionary, and ask a fluent reader how the phrase sounds. This page explains language and cultural context; it does not promise loyalty, honesty or a particular religious outcome.

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