Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Woman (nǚ) 10 strokes Page 263, Entry 01 Pronounced shen. According to the Explanation of Writing (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to a woman who is pregnant and feeling the movement of the fetus. According to the Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan), in the first year of Duke Ai, Empress Min was pregnant. Also pronounced zhen. The meaning is the same. It is commonly written as the character for body. Also pronounced zhen. According to the Dialects (Fangyan), in the regions of Yan and Qi, those who raise horses as well as female government slaves are all called shen, also referred to as zhen.