正 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

See also: 企, 疋, 辵, and 乏
Stroke order
5 strokes
Stroke order

As a component of some complex characters, 正 is often written as 𤴓 with its last two strokes different. Compare 昰 and 是.

正 (Kangxi radical 77, 止+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 一卜中一 (MYLM), four-corner 10101, composition ⿱一止)

  1. Shuowen Jiezi radical №31
simp. and trad. 正
alternative forms 疋𤴓㱏𣥔𧾸疋𤴓㱏𣥔𧾸𠙺

| | Old Chinese | | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | 綻 | *rdeːns | | 淀 | *deːns | | 靛 | *deːns | | 症 | *tjɯŋs | | 竀 | *rtʰeːŋ, *tʰeŋ | | 征 | *tjeŋ | | 怔 | *tjeŋ | | 正 | *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs | | 鉦 | *tjeŋ | | 鴊 | *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs | | 眐 | *tjeŋ | | 佂 | *tjeŋ | | 整 | *tjeŋʔ | | 政 | *tjeŋs | | 証 | *tjeŋs | | 定 | *teːŋs, *deːŋs | | 顁 | *teːŋs | | 錠 | *teːŋs, *deːŋʔ, *deːŋs | | 掟 | *deːŋs |

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *tjeŋ, *tjeŋs): phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ) + semantic 止 (“foot”) – to go on a long journey. Original form of 征 (OC *tjeŋ, “to go on long campaign”).

Later, 丁 was simplified into a horizontal stroke, as in 旦. Folk etymologies do not recognize 丁. Graphically, the modern version of the character is the reverse of 之.

Sino-Tibetan or area word: “centre; target; first (month); straight; correct”.

Compare Mizo dîng (“to go straight or direct (as person, arrow etc.); to go straight through without breaking the journey; straight; direct”). Matisoff sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-tjak/ŋ ~ tik/ŋ (“good; very; real; straight”) for this, which includes 正, 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “straight; right”) and 實 (OC *ɦliɡ, “solid; true”).

Additionally, Matisoff has Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t(r)waŋ (“straight; straighten”), whence Chepang धेङ्‌सा (dʰeŋ-, “straight”), Jingpho ding (“straight”), Tibetan དྲང་པོ (drang po, “straight; correct; upright; just; fair”), Burmese တန်း (tan:, “straight; to head straight for”). Also compare Khmer ទៀង (tiĕng, “accurate; correct; exact; precise; honest”) and Thai ดิ่ง (dìng, “vertically; straight; to plummet”).

Derivatives:

For etymology of pronunciation 正 (zhĕng) in the month 正月 (zhēngyuè)'s name, see there.

Note:

Note:

Note:

Note:

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 正
Reading # 2/2
ModernBeijing(Pinyin) zhèng
MiddleChinese ‹ tsyengH ›
OldChinese /*teŋ-s/
English correct (adj., v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 正
Reading # 2/2
No. 17178
Phoneticcomponent 正
Rimegroup 耕
Rimesubdivision 0
CorrespondingMC rime 政
OldChinese /*tjeŋs/

正

  1. straight; upright in proper position; middle
    正門／正门 ― zhèngmén ― front door
    把畫掛正。／把画挂正。 ― Bǎ huà guà zhèng. ― Hang the painting straight.
    Antonym: 歪 (wāi)
  2. right; proper; correct; upright
    正路 ― zhènglù ― right way; correct path
    正派 ― zhèngpài ― decent; upright; proper
    公正 ― gōngzhèng ― just; fair
    他作風不正。／他作风不正。 ― Tā zuòfēng bù zhèng. ― He behaves with impropriety.
    行得正企得正 [Cantonese, trad. and _simp._]
    haang4 dak1 zeng3 kei5 dak1 zeng3 [Jyutping]
    to act in a proper manner
  3. obverse; right
    25美分硬幣的正面是華盛頓總統的頭像。 [MSC, _trad._]
    25美分硬币的正面是华盛顿总统的头像。 [MSC, _simp._]
    25 měifēn yìngbì de zhèngmiàn shì Huáshèngdùn zǒngtǒng de tóuxiàng. [Pinyin]
    The obverse of a quarter shows the profile of George Washington.
    Antonym: 反
  4. regular; standard
    正規／正规 ― zhèngguī ― regular; standard
    正楷 ― zhèngkǎi ― regular script
  5. precisely; directly; perfectly
    正前方 ― zhèng qiánfāng ― straight ahead
    正南 ― zhèng nán ― due south
    張床喺正張書檯隔籬。 [Cantonese, _trad._]
    张床喺正张书台隔篱。 [Cantonese, _simp._]
    zoeng1 cong4 hai2 zeng3 zoeng1 syu1 toi4-2 gaak3 lei4. [Jyutping]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  6. primary; chief; main; full
    正文 ― zhèngwén ― main body
    正副主任 ― zhèng fù zhǔrèn ― [full] director and deputy director
    正省級／正省级 ― zhèngxǐngjí ― [full-]provincial level
  7. pure; unmixed; authentic; true
    正紅色／正红色 ― zhèng hóngsè ― pure red
  8. pretty; attractive; beautiful
  9. (Cantonese) awesome; fantastic
    依間餐廳正呀！ [Cantonese, _trad._]
    依间餐厅正呀！ [Cantonese, _simp._]
    ji1 gaan1 caan1 teng1 zeng3 aa3! [Jyutping]
    This restaurant is awesome!
  10. just now; right now; in the process of
    我正等著呢。／我正等着呢。 ― Wǒ zhèng děng zhe ne. ― I'm waiting.
    外面正在下雪。 ― Wàimiàn zhèngzài xiàxuě. ― It's snowing outside.
    那時候我正在上海讀書。 [MSC, _trad._]
    那时候我正在上海读书。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Nà shíhòu wǒ zhèng zài Shànghǎi dúshū. [Pinyin]
    At that time I was studying in Shanghai
  11. just; exactly; precisely
    正如你剛才說的。 [MSC, _trad._]
    正如你刚才说的。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Zhèngrú nǐ gāngcái shuō de. [Pinyin]
    Precisely as you have said just now
  12. to straighten; to make straight
    把帽子正一正 ― bǎ màozǐ zhèng yī zhèng ― to straighten out one’s hat
  1. to make right; to rectify; to correct
    正音 ― zhèngyīn ― to correct one's pronunciation
  2. (numeral) ten duodecillion(1040)
  3. (mathematics) regular
    正六邊形／正六边形 ― zhèng liùbiānxíng ― regular hexagon
    正四面體／正四面体 ― zhèng sìmiàntǐ ― regular tetrahedron
  4. (mathematics) positive; plus
    正整數／正整数 ― zhèng zhěngshù ― positive integer
  5. (physics) positive
    正極／正极 ― zhèngjí ― positive pole
  6. (time) sharp; on the dot
    正午 ― zhèngwǔ ― noon
    而家係五點正。 [Cantonese, _trad._]
    而家系五点正。 [Cantonese, _simp._]
    ji4 gaa1 hai6 ng5 dim2 zing3. [Jyutping]
    It's 5 o'clock on the dot.
  7. (Hakka, Teochew) only; merely
  8. (Hakka, Teochew) just; just now
  9. (Hakka, Teochew) only then; only after
  1. (Hakka, Teochew) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
  2. (Southern Min) right (direction)
  3. a surname
  4. (tally marks) five (successive strokes of 正 are added in writing sequence to tally a count of five per character)

Dialectal synonyms of 才 (“only after; only then; not ... until”) [map]

Dialectal synonyms of 右 (“right”) [map]

Chinese numerals
104 108 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028 1032 1036 1040 1044 1048
萬／万 (wàn) 億／亿 (yì) 兆 (zhào) (Taiwan) 京 (jīng) (Taiwan) 垓 (gāi) 秭 (zǐ) 穰 (ráng) 溝／沟 (gōu) 澗／涧 (jiàn) 正 (zhèng) 載／载 (zài) 極／极 (jí)
萬億／万亿 (wànyì)(Mainland China) 億億/亿亿(Mainland China)

Note:

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 正
Reading # 1/2
ModernBeijing(Pinyin) zhēng
MiddleChinese ‹ tsyeng ›
OldChinese /*C.teŋ/
English 1st (month)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 正
Reading # 1/2
No. 17171
Phoneticcomponent 正
Rimegroup 耕
Rimesubdivision 0
CorrespondingMC rime 征
OldChinese /*tjeŋ/
Notes 甲文從止丁聲，徵初文

正

  1. first (month of the lunar year)
    新正 ― xīnzhēng ― first month of the lunar new year
  2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) bull's eye; centre of target
  3. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) target; goal
  4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Original form of 征 (zhēng, “to levy”).
  5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Original form of 征 (zhēng, “to go on a punitive expedition”).

Others:

正

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. correct
  2. justice
  3. (arithmetic) positive
  4. (geometry) regular
Kanji in this term
正
せいGrade: 1
kan'on

正(せい) • (sei)

  1. correctness

正(せい) • (sei)

  1. 生: (humble) I or me, the first person singular (used by males)

正(せい) • (sei)

  1. A number of ten-duodecillion (1040) in modern Japanese since 17th century.
  2. 5, as tally marks. Similar to four vertical lines followed by a slanted horizontal line crossing through them, this character is used to count to 5 stroke by stroke. Thus this kanji written up to the third stroke represents 3. After the fifth and final stroke, when this character is completed, one starts writing this character again to count to higher numbers.
Kanji in this term
正
しょうGrade: 1
goon

正(しょう) • (shō-)

  1. (history) "senior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)
    Antonym: 従 (ju-)
    正(しょう)一(いち)位(い)
    shōichī
    senior rank 1
    正(しょう)三(さん)位(み)
    shōsanmi
    senior rank 3
    正(しょう)九(く)位(い)
    shōkui
    senior rank 9
  2. 正: exactly (of a number)

正(しょう) • (shō) -na (adnominal 正(しょう)な (shō na), adverbial 正(しょう)に (shō ni))

  1. proper; straight, direct; genuine, true
Kanji in this term
正
しょうGrade: 1
on'yomi

正(しょう) • (shō)

  1. ten-duodecillion (1040)
Kanji in this term
正
ただしGrade: 1
nanori
Kanji in this term
正
まさしGrade: 1
nanori

正(まさし) or 正(ただし) or 正(たゞし) • (Masashi or Tadashi)

  1. a male given name

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC tsyengH).

Wikisource

正 (eumhun 바를 정 (bareul jeong))

  1. Hanja form? of 정 (“straight; upright; erect”).

Compounds

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC tsyeng).

正 (eumhun 정월(正月) 정)

  1. hanja form? of 정 (“first (month of the lunar year)”)
  2. hanja form? of 정 (“target”)

Compounds

正: Hán Việt readings: chinh (之(chi)盛(thịnh)切(thiết)), chánh[1][2], chính[3][4][1][2][5]
正: Nôm readings: chánh[3][4][1][2][5], chênh[1], chính[3][4][1][2][6], chếnh[1][7][2][5][6], chiếng[3], chỉnh[1], giêng[1]

  1. Chữ Hán form of chánh (“chief; head”).

  2. Chữ Hán form of chính (“main; major, chief; just, righteous”).

  3. Nôm form of chếnh.

  4. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Trần (2004).

  5. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bonet (1899).

  6. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Nguyễn (2014).

  7. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).

  8. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Génibrel (1898).

  9. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).

  10. ^ Hồ (1976).