承认 (chéng rèn) — Chinese Word

verb HSK 4

Traditional 承認

chéng rèn

to admit · to acknowledge · to recognize

Meaning

承认 means to openly acknowledge or admit something as true or valid. It can refer to admitting a mistake, recognizing someone's achievements, or officially accepting something as legitimate. The word carries a sense of accepting reality or truth, often after initial resistance or doubt.

Usage

Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. Often appears in patterns like 承认错误 (admit mistakes), 不承认 (refuse to acknowledge), or 得到承认 (gain recognition). Can be used for both positive acknowledgments (recognizing achievements) and negative admissions (confessing faults).

Examples

01
他终于承认了自己的错误。
Tā zhōng yú chéng rèn le zì jǐ de cuò wù.
He finally admitted his mistake.
02
这个国家还没有得到国际社会的承认。
Zhè ge guó jiā hái méi yǒu dé dào guó jì shè huì de chéng rèn.
This country has not yet gained recognition from the international community.

Characters

Common collocations

承认错误
chéng rèn cuò wù
to admit a mistake
不承认
bù chéng rèn
to refuse to acknowledge
承认事实
chéng rèn shì shí
to acknowledge the facts
得到承认
dé dào chéng rèn
to gain recognition

Antonyms

Origin

承 originally meant 'to receive' or 'to bear,' while 认 means 'to recognize.' Together they form the meaning of 'bearing the recognition' of something, i.e., accepting it as true.