The kanji 誠 (sei) fundamentally represents "sincerity," "honesty," "truth," and "fidelity." It encompasses the idea of being genuine, truthful in words and actions, and having a heart that is pure and free from deceit. It implies a sense of earnestness and a commitment to doing what is right and just. The core concept is about a person's inner nature and how it reflects in their interactions with the world.

・On-yomi (音読み): セイ (sei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): まこと (makoto)

⚫︎ 誠実 (seijitsu) Translation: Sincerity; honesty; integrity ⚫︎ 誠意 (seii) Translation: Sincerity; good faith; goodwill ⚫︎ 誠にありがとうございます (makoto ni arigatou gozaimasu) Translation: Thank you very much; I am truly grateful. (using the kun-yomi)

The kanji 誠 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phonetic-semantic compound character. ⚫︎ The left side is 言 (gen), meaning "word" or "speech," which provides a semantic element related to the idea of truth and words. ⚫︎ The right side is 成 (sei), which provides the phonetic component, suggesting the sound and also contributing to the meaning of "completion" or "accomplishment." ⚫︎ The character, therefore, combines the idea of speech (言) with the sound and also the meaning of "accomplishment or completion" (成) to convey the idea of "truthful words" or "genuine behavior." The development of the character reflects the importance placed on trustworthiness and honest communication in ancient societies.