noun HSK 5
Traditional 證人
witness · testifier
Meaning
证人 refers to a person who witnesses an event, especially in a legal context, and can provide testimony about what they saw or heard. It is most commonly used in legal, judicial, or formal investigative settings.
Usage
This term is primarily used in legal and formal contexts. In everyday conversation, people might say 看见的人 (the person who saw) for informal situations. In court proceedings, 证人 is the standard formal term for someone who gives testimony. The word appears frequently in news reports about trials and legal cases.
Examples
- 01法庭传唤了五名证人出庭作证。.The court summoned five witnesses to testify.
- 02警方正在寻找事故的目击证人。.The police are looking for eyewitnesses to the accident.
Characters
Measure words
- 名三名证人
- 位一位证人
Common collocations
- 出庭证人witness appearing in court
- 目击证人eyewitness
- 传唤证人to summon a witness
- 证人证言witness testimony
Origin
The word combines 证 (proof/evidence) and 人 (person), literally meaning 'evidence person' or 'person who provides proof.' This compound structure is typical of modern Chinese legal and administrative terminology.