传真
fax; to fax
chuánzhēn
What does 传真 mean?
传真 (chuánzhēn) is a noun meaning 'fax' — both the technology of transmitting document images over phone lines and the received document itself. It can also work as a verb, 'to fax' (传真给我, 'fax it to me'). The machine is 传真机 (chuánzhēnjī).
Because Chinese uses one word for the noun, the verb, and the medium, English speakers don't need separate 'a fax' versus 'to fax' forms — context and grammar carry the difference. The characters literally mean 'transmit truth/likeness,' reflecting that a fax reproduces an exact image of the original. 传真 is neutral in register and lives mainly in business, government, and administrative settings; in casual life it is now largely replaced by scanning and messaging, but the vocabulary is still tested and used formally.
Note: Mostly appears in office, business, and official contexts. As technology it now sounds slightly dated, but the word remains standard for the machine, the transmission, and the document.
Character breakdown
to transmit; to pass on
true; real; likeness
Memory hook: 传 (transmit) + 真 (true likeness): to transmit a true copy of a document — a fax.
Measure word for 传真
Example sentences
请把合同传真给我。
Qǐng bǎ hétong chuánzhēn gěi wǒ.
Please fax the contract to me.
neutral
我们公司还有一台传真机。
Wǒmen gōngsī hái yǒu yì tái chuánzhēnjī.
Our company still has a fax machine.
neutral
你的传真号码是多少？
Nǐ de chuánzhēn hàomǎ shì duōshao?
What's your fax number?
spoken
这份传真今天早上才收到。
Zhè fèn chuánzhēn jīntiān zǎoshang cái shōudào.
This fax was only received this morning.
written
Common phrases with 传真
Don't confuse 传真 with
传统 means 'tradition / traditional.' It shares 传 but has nothing to do with sending documents. Don't let the shared first character blur the meanings.
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