Chinese word

证人

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhèng rén

Meaning

  • nounwitness

Example

他不想当证人，怕被牵连。tā bù xiǎng dāng zhèng rén pà bèi qiān lián

He does not want to be a witness because he is afraid of getting involved.

Illustration for 证人 (witness)

More examples

法庭上，证人的证词决定了案件走向。fǎ tíng shàng zhèng rén de zhèng cí jué dìng le àn jiàn zǒu xiàng

In court, the witness's testimony determined the course of the case.

Core concept

A human source of evidence whose spoken or written account helps establish what happened in a case or formal inquiry.

Common phrases

  • 目击证人mù jī zhèng rén

    eyewitness

  • 证人证言zhèng rén zhèng yán

    witness testimony

Similar words

目击者mù jī zhě: A person who sees an event happen firsthand.
见证人jiàn zhèng rén: A person who is present to verify and formally confirm an agreement or official procedure.
旁观者páng guān zhě: A person who stands by and watches an event without participating.

Definition in Chinese

在法律或正式场合为某件事实作证、提供口头或书面证词的人。zài fǎ lǜ huò zhèng shì chǎng hé wèi mǒu jiàn shì shí zuò zhèng tí gōng kǒu tóu huò shū miàn zhèng cí de rén

Word origin

证 (zhèng, "testify") + 人 (rén, "person") forms a term for a person who supports facts through testimony.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this noun often appears when police, lawyers, or a court need someone to give a formal account, not merely when someone happens to see an event.

Other meanings

  • eyewitnessnoun

Related words

  • 目击证人mù jī zhèng réneyewitnessnoun
  • 证人证言zhèng rén zhèng yánwitness testimonynoun
  • 证人席zhèng rén xíwitness standnoun

Word lists with this word