证据 (zhèng jù) means 'evidence' — information or material used to support a claim, prove something true, or establish facts, especially in legal, scientific, or investigative contexts. The first character 证 (zhèng) means 'to verify' or 'to prove', while 据 (jù) means 'basis' or 'ground'; together, they literally convey 'a basis for verification'. This word is formal and objective, commonly appearing in court proceedings, academic research, medical diagnosis, journalism, and police investigations.

Unlike colloquial terms like 东西 (dōngxi, 'thing') or 线索 (xiànsuǒ, 'clue'), 证据 carries weight and authority — it must be verifiable, admissible, and logically relevant. It can be physical (e.g., fingerprints), documentary (e.g., contracts), testimonial (e.g., witness statements), or digital (e.g., surveillance footage). In Chinese, it’s typically used as an uncountable noun, though it may appear with measure words like 份 (fèn) when referring to individual items of evidence (e.g., 一份证据).