正

zhēng, zhèng

HSK 2.0 5

HSK 3.0 2

Rank #129

Definitions

zhèng (adjective) straight; upright; proper; correct

zhèng (adjective) main; principal

zhèng (verb) to correct; to rectify

zhèng (adverb) exactly; just; right

zhèng (adjective) positive (in mathematics)

zhēng (noun) first month of lunar year

Etymology

Depicts a foot (止) going out towards city walls (丁). 丁 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "to attack (an enemy)", now written as 征. The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "correct".

About

The character "正" derives from an early ideographic composition that conceptually merged a foot with a horizontal line representing a boundary or target, thus depicting purposeful movement directly toward a point. Its structural form, which consolidated over time, places the component "止", meaning foot or to halt, beneath a single horizontal stroke, visually emphasizing alignment and unwavering direction. Originally conveying physical straightness and direct aim, the meaning broadened to embody abstract notions of correctness and moral uprightness, subsequently functioning as an adjective for what is proper or right and as a verb meaning to rectify or govern. This conceptual expansion also led to its adoption in contexts such as denoting the principal month of the lunar calendar or the essential aspect of an entity, while its graphical representation has maintained a consistent structure throughout its historical usage.