fake; false (jiǎ); holiday; leave (jià)
HSK level
假 is written with 11 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
假 is a two-pronunciation character.
As jiǎ (third tone) it is an adjective meaning 'fake, false, or artificial' — 假的 'fake,' 假钱 'counterfeit money,' 假话 'a lie.' As jià (fourth tone) it is a noun meaning 'holiday, vacation, or leave from work' — 放假 'to have a holiday,' 请假 'to ask for leave,' 暑假 'summer vacation.' Two things to note.
First, the pronunciation is the only spoken cue distinguishing 'fake' (jiǎ) from 'vacation' (jià), so tones carry the whole meaning — a classic learner pitfall. Second, jiǎ 'fake' differs from English 'false' in that it stresses being a counterfeit or imitation of the real thing (假名牌 'fake brand goods'), while 'false' in the sense of 'incorrect' is usually 错 (cuò) instead. Register is neutral for both readings.
这个包是假的。
Zhège bāo shì jiǎ de.
This bag is fake.
spoken
别说假话。
Bié shuō jiǎhuà.
Don't tell lies.
spoken
我们下周放假。
Wǒmen xià zhōu fàngjià.
We have a holiday next week.
neutral
我想请一天假。
Wǒ xiǎng qǐng yì tiān jià.
I'd like to take one day off.
neutral
伪 means 'fake / forged,' more formal and written (伪造 'to forge'). 假 (jiǎ) is the everyday spoken word for 'fake.' Use 假 in conversation; 伪 appears in legal or written compounds.
价 (jià) means 'price' (价格 'price'). 假 read as jià means 'vacation.' Same sound, different character and meaning — watch the writing.
暇 (xiá) means 'leisure / free time' (空暇). It looks similar to 假 but has the 日 radical and a different sound. Don't confuse the characters.
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