Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of a straight line coming from the eye, to depict looking straight at something. The purpose of the stroke at the bottom is unclear.
About
The character 直 originated from an early ideographic concept of straightness, visually centered on the eye (目) with a marking above it to denote direct sight. Its traditional structure consolidates into a form where the component 十 is positioned over 目, completed by a horizontal stroke at the base. Originally conveying literal straightness or directness in line or vision, its semantic range extended to include abstract qualities such as honesty and moral uprightness, and it acquired grammatical function as an adverb meaning directly.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这条路很直。
我一直很忙。
请直往前走。
他直接回家了。
他性格直爽。
垂直降落很危险。
我一直想学习中文。
他的回答非常直接。