HSK 4 · Function Words

实在 shízài “really” in Chinese

Traditional 實在

What 实在 means

  1. really
  2. actually
  3. indeed
  4. true
  5. real
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • honest

How to say 实在

  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale实shí2nd tone, rising
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale在zài4th tone, falling

实在 in a sentence

  1. 这件事我实在不懂。

    Zhè jiàn shì wǒ shízài bù dǒng.

    I simply don’t understand this.

    Sentence #405744 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 这部电影实在太棒了，我还想再看一遍。

    Zhè bù diànyǐng shízài tài bàng le, wǒ hái xiǎng zài kàn yí biàn.

    This film is so good I’d like to see it again.

    Sentence #4463428 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 实在抱歉，老板在睡觉。请您明天再来。

    Shízài bàoqiàn, lǎobǎn zài shuìjiào. Qǐng nín míngtiān zài lái.

    I’m really sorry, my boss is asleep. Please come back tomorrow.

    Sentence #484450 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 实在 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 实 (shí) with each of its parts in a different colour
实shíreal
  • 宀roof · mián
  • 头head · tóu

Memory aidSimplified from 實, a house 宀 full of strings of coins: solid, real.

The character 在 (zài) with each of its parts in a different colour
在zàito exist; to be alive
  • 才ability · cáiSound part
  • 土earth · tǔMeaning part

土 hints at the meaning (earth); 才 (cái) hints at the sound. Compare it with zài.

How to write 实在

实 8 strokes · 在 6 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

实在 (shízài) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 实在 (shízài). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 实在

Words with 实

其实qíshí · actually诚实chéngshí · honest实际shíjì · actual确实quèshí · indeed实际上shíjìshàng · in fact果实guǒshí · fruit (of a plant)实话shíhuà · truth实现shíxiàn · to achieve结实jiēshi · sturdy老实lǎoshi · honest

Words with 在

在zài · to be at现在xiànzài · now正在zhèngzài · in the process of存在cúnzài · to exist在乎zàihu · to care about在于zàiyú · to lie in内在nèizài · inner在意zàiyì · to care about

More words: Particles & Connectors

稍微shāowēi · a little bit甚至shènzhì · even十分shífēn · very是否shìfǒu · whether (or not)首先shǒuxiān · first (of all)顺便shùnbiàn · conveniently顺序shùnxù · sequence随便suíbiàn · as one wishes

FAQs

实在 (shízài) means “really” or “actually”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it shízài: shí with a 2nd tone, then zài with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 实在 is written 實在. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type shizai with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 实在 from the suggestions. Typing shizai into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
实在 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.