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March 24, 2026
确(確)què(que4)
The character 确 (què) primarily means 'to confirm' or 'to be certain.' It is often used in contexts where one wants to assert the truth or accuracy of something, such as confirming plans or verifying information. This word conveys a sense of reliability and solidness in both formal and informal settings.
Strokes12Radical石Frequency#4780DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of certainty and confirmation is crucial, particularly in business settings where contracts and agreements must be explicitly confirmed. The phrase '确认收货' (quèrèn shōuhuò), meaning 'confirm receipt of goods,' is common in e-commerce.
Memory Tip
Think of 确 as a 'rock-solid' confirmation. The left component, 石 (shí), means 'stone,' representing something firm and unchanging, while the right part, 却 (què), can be associated with 'turning back,' suggesting a validation of what is true. Picture a stone tablet where confirmations are carved in stone.
Meanings of 确
què(que4)
1authenticated
2solid
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 确
确Simplified
確Traditional
12Strokes
石Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#4780Frequency Rank
Podcast: 确
Podcast: 确
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AI Study Notes for 确
Quick Contrast
确认 (quèrèn) vs 确定 (quèdìng) — use 确认 for confirming or validating something, while 确定 emphasizes making a decision or establishing certainty.
Memory Mnemonic
Think of 确 as a 'rock-solid' confirmation. The left component, 石 (shí), means 'stone,' representing something firm and unchanging, while the right part, 却 (què), can be associated with 'turning back,' suggesting a validation of what is true. Picture a stone tablet where confirmations are carved in stone.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 确 with its similar-sounding counterparts, particularly 确定 (quèdìng), which means 'to determine' or 'to set.' This character is generally used in both formal and informal contexts, but it's essential to use proper tones; using the wrong tone can change the meaning completely.
HSK Study Tips
Although 确 does not appear in HSK levels, it is relevant for learners at HSK 4 and above due to its use in more complex sentences. Focus on its usage in phrases related to verification and certainty, as this will enhance your conversational skills.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of certainty and confirmation is crucial, particularly in business settings where contracts and agreements must be explicitly confirmed. The phrase '确认收货' (quèrèn shōuhuò), meaning 'confirm receipt of goods,' is common in e-commerce.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 确 with its synonyms like 确定 or 确认 (quèrèn), which also means 'to confirm.' A common mistake is saying '我确定这是真的' (I determine this is true), instead of '我确认这是真的' (I confirm this is true).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 确
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Grammar Patterns of 确
确 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
I work very efficiently and am decisive, and accurate in my judgement.
4
这些表达方式经常相互替代使用，但它们的含义确实有所不同。
zhè xiē biǎo dá fāng shì jīng cháng xiāng hù tì dài shǐ yòng， ， dàn tā mén de hán yì què shí yǒu suǒ bù。
These expressions are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings.
5
要确保每天的钙摄入量。
yào què bǎo měi tiān de gài shè rù liáng。
Be sure you get your daily quota of calcium.
6
这种局面所造成的不确定性肯定让你感到困惑。
zhè zhǒng jú miàn suǒ zào chéng de bù què dìng xìng kěn dìng ràng nǐ gǎn dào kùn huò。
The uncertainty created by this situation must be confusing for you.
7
你的决定必须转化为具体明确的行动。
nǐ de jué dìng bì xū zhuǎn huà wéi jù tǐ míng què de háng dòng。
Your decision must be translated into specific, concrete actions.
8
约翰，我为史蒂夫感到难过，但是我想你的决定是正确的。
yuē hàn， ， wǒ wéi shǐ dì fū gǎn dào nán， guò ， dàn shì wǒ xiǎng nǐ de jué dìng shì zhèng。
John, I'm sorry for Steve, but I think you'vemade the right decisions.
9
现在看来似乎悲观论者是正确的。
xiàn zài kàn lái sì hū bēi guān lùn zhě shì zhèng què de。
It looks as if the pessimists are being proved right.
10
作出的决定是正确的，但理由可能是错误的。
zuò chū de jué dìng shì zhèng què de， ， dàn lǐ yóu kě néng shì cuò wù。
The right decision was made, but probably for the wrong reasons.
Cultural Notes for 确
💡Did you know?
'确' is often used in expressions to emphasize certainty, such as '确实' (què shí), meaning 'indeed' or 'certainly'.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of certainty and confirmation is crucial, particularly in business settings where contracts and agreements must be explicitly confirmed. The phrase '确认收货' (quèrèn shōuhuò), meaning 'confirm receipt of goods,' is common in e-commerce.
Word Family of 确
Words Containing This Character20
确定quèdìngdefinite確定
确实quèshíindeed確實
的确díquèreally的確
正确zhèngquècorrect正確
明确míngquèclear-cut明確
确保quèbǎoto ensure確保
确认quèrènto confirm確認
准确zhǔnquèaccurate準確
确信quèxìnto be sure確信
确quèsolid確
确切quèqièdefinite確切
确立quèlìto establish確立
精确jīngquèaccurate精確
确诊quèzhěnto make a definite diagnosis確診
确凿quèzáodefinite確鑿
准确性accuracy準確性
千真万确manifold千真萬確
确定性determinacy確定性
精确度accuracy精確度
确证to prove確證
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 确定 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 确
确 (què) refers to being firm or true, while 确定 (quèdìng) means 'to determine' or 'to confirm.' In essence, 确 is the adjective describing certainty, whereas 确定 is the verb that involves taking action to confirm something.
确 (què) means 'firm', 'real', or 'true' in Chinese. It is often used to indicate certainty or authenticity in a statement. In everyday conversation, you might use it to affirm the truth of a situation or fact.
You can use 确 (què) in a sentence to express assurance, such as '我确实知道这个情况' (Wǒ quèshí zhīdào zhège qíngkuàng), which means 'I definitely know about this situation.' It can also be used in phrases like '确定' (quèdìng), meaning 'to confirm.'
You can use 确 in a sentence like '我可以确认这个信息是正确的' (I can confirm that this information is correct).
While 确 means 'to confirm,' 确定 (quèdìng) specifically refers to 'to determine' or 'to set.' They are related but used in slightly different contexts.
Yes, 确 is commonly used in both everyday and formal conversations when discussing certainty or verification.
