信 means “trust, believe, signal”

しん · shin

Also: faith, truth, fidelity

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シン

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 4 · 9 strokes

The story

A person (亻) standing beside their words (言): someone whose word you can trust. 信じる is to believe, 自信 is confidence, and 信号 is the traffic signal, whose green light Japanese calls 青, blue.

Used in 信じる (shinjiru, to believe), 自信 (jishin, confidence), and 信号 (shingou, traffic light)

More from Thinking & Knowing

• 確 certain
• 能 ability
• 疑 doubt
• 術 technique
• 想 idea
• 念 thought
• 察 observe
• 識 know
• 覚 remember
• 忘 forget
• 慣 get used to
• 才 talent

Learn 信 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.