Wiktionary

正

See also: 企, 疋, 辵, and 乏
正 U+6B63, 正
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B63
← 止
[U+6B62] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 此 →
[U+6B64]

𝍶 U+1D376, 𝍶
IDEOGRAPHIC TALLY MARK FIVE
← 𝍵
[U+1D375] 		Counting Rod Numerals 𝍷 →
[U+1D377]

Translingual

edit
Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Alternative forms

edit

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

Han character

edit

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

Usage notes

edit
  • (tally marks, 5): The successive strokes of 正 ( ) are used in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and other areas where Chinese characters are prominent to designate tallies in votes, scores, points, sushi orders, and the like, much as   is used in Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Europe. Tallies beyond five are written with a 正 for each group of five, followed by the remainder. For example, a tally of twelve   is written as 正正丅.

Derived characters

edit

References

edit
  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 574, character 2
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16255
  • Dae Jaweon: page 962, character 2
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1436, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+6B63

Chinese

edit
simp. and trad.
 正
alternative forms
疋
𤴓
㱏
𣥔
𧾸
疋
𤴓
㱏
𣥔
𧾸
𠙺
 

Glyph origin

edit
Historical forms of the character 正
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
       
Characters in the same phonetic series (正) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
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.

Etymology

edit

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:

  • 征 (OC *tjeŋ, “to go straight > to go on a journey”)
  • 政 (OC *tjeŋs, “correct; to govern; government; to determine”)
  • 整 (OC *tjeŋʔ, “orderly; to arrange; to dispose”)

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

Pronunciation 1

edit
Note:
  • zeng3 - vernacular;
  • zing3 - literary.
Note:
  • chang/zhangˇ/zang4 - vernacular;
  • chṳn/zhinˇ/zen4 - literary.
Note:
  • ciáng - vernacular;
  • céng - literary.
Note:
  • chiàⁿ - vernacular;
  • chèng - literary.
Rime
Character 正
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 章 (23)
Final (韻) 清 (121)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 之盛切
Baxter tsyengH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/t͡ɕiᴇŋH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/t͡ɕiɛŋH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/t͡ɕiæŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ciajŋH/
Li
Rong 		/t͡ɕiɛŋH/
Wang
Li 		/t͡ɕĭɛŋH/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/t͡ɕi̯ɛŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		zhèng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		zing3
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 正
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		zhèng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ tsyengH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*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
Phonetic
component 		正
Rime
group 		耕
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		政
Old
Chinese 		/*tjeŋs/

Definitions

edit

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
  13. to make right; to rectify; to correct
    正音  ―  zhèngyīn  ―  to correct one's pronunciation
  14. (numeral) ten duodecillion(1040)
  15. (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
  16. (mathematics) positive; plus
    正整數／正整数  ―  zhèng zhěngshù  ―  positive integer
  17. (physics) positive
    正極／正极  ―  zhèngjí  ―  positive pole
  18. (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.
  19. (Hakka, Teochew) only; merely
  20. (Hakka, Teochew) just; just now
  21. (Hakka, Teochew) only then; only after
  22. (Hakka, Teochew) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
  23. (Southern Min) right (direction)
  24. a surname
  25. (tally marks) five (successive strokes of 正 are added in writing sequence to tally a count of five per character)

Synonyms

edit
Dialectal synonyms of 才 (“only after; only then; not ... until”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 才2, 再, 方, 始, 方才
Northeastern Mandarin Taiwan 才2
Singapore 才2
Cantonese Guangzhou 先, 至, 先至
Hong Kong 先, 至, 先至
Hakka Meixian 正
Southern Min Xiamen 才3
Quanzhou 才3
Zhangzhou 才3
Singapore (Hokkien) 才3
Manila (Hokkien) 才3
Shantou 正
Singapore (Teochew) 正
Wu Shanghai 再, 才2
Suzhou 再
Xiang Changsha 才至
Dialectal synonyms of 右 (“right”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 右
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 右
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 右
Taiwan 右
Chengde 右
Chifeng 右
Hulunbuir (Hailar) 右
Heihe 右
Qiqihar 右
Harbin 右
Jiamusi 右
Baicheng 右
Changchun 右
Tonghua 右
Shenyang 右
Jinzhou 右
Malaysia 右
Singapore 右
Jilu Mandarin Tianjin 右
Tangshan 右
Cangzhou 右
Baoding 右
Shijiazhuang 右
Lijin 右
Jinan 右
Jiaoliao Mandarin Dalian 右
Dandong 右
Yantai 右
Qingdao 右
Zhucheng 右
Central Plains Mandarin Lingbao 右
Jining 右
Wanrong 右
Linfen 右
Shangqiu 右
Yuanyang 右
Zhengzhou 右
Xinyang 右
Baihe 右
Xi'an 右
Baoji 右
Tianshui 右
Xining 右
Xuzhou 右
Fuyang 右
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 右
Lanzhou 右
Dunhuang 右
Hami 右
Ürümqi 右
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 右
Nanchong 右
Dazhou 右
Hanyuan 右
Xichang 右
Zigong 右
Chongqing 右
Wuhan 右
Yichang 右
Xiangyang 右
Tianmen 右
Guiyang 右
Zunyi 右
Bijie 右
Liping 右
Zhaotong 右
Dali 右
Kunming 右
Mengzi 右
Guilin 右
Liuzhou 右
Jishou 右
Changde 右
Hanzhong 右
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 右
Yangzhou 右
Lianyungang 右
Lianshui 右
Nantong 右
Anqing 右
Wuhu 右
Hefei 右
Hong'an 右
Cantonese Guangzhou 右
Hong Kong 右
Macau 右
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 右
Singapore (Guangfu) 右
Gan Lichuan 右
Huizhou Shexian 右
Jin Taiyuan 右
Yangyuan 右
Datong 右
Xinzhou 右
Lüliang (Lishi) 右
Changzhi 右
Linhe 右
Jining 右
Hohhot 右
Erenhot 右
Pingshan 右
Zhangjiakou 右
Handan 右
Linzhou 右
Suide 右
Eastern Min Fuzhou 右
Southern Min Xiamen 正
Quanzhou 正
Zhangzhou 正
Taipei 正
New Taipei (Sanxia) 正
Kaohsiung 正
Yilan 正
Changhua (Lukang) 正
Taichung 正
Tainan 正
Hsinchu 正
Kinmen 正
Penghu (Magong) 正
Penang (Hokkien) 正
Singapore (Hokkien) 正
Manila (Hokkien) 正
Chaozhou 正
Shantou 正
Jieyang 正
Singapore (Teochew) 正
Wenchang 右

Antonyms

edit
  • (antonym(s) of “right”): (Hokkien, Teochew) 倒 (tò, “left”)

Compounds

edit

See also

edit
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)

Pronunciation 2

edit
Note:
  • ciăng - vernacular;
  • cĭng - literary.
Rime
Character 正
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 章 (23)
Final (韻) 清 (121)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 諸盈切
Baxter tsyeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/t͡ɕiᴇŋ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/t͡ɕiɛŋ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/t͡ɕiæŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/ciajŋ/
Li
Rong 		/t͡ɕiɛŋ/
Wang
Li 		/t͡ɕĭɛŋ/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/t͡ɕi̯ɛŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		zhēng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		zing1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 正
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		zhēng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ tsyeng ›
Old
Chinese 		/*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
Phonetic
component 		正
Rime
group 		耕
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		征
Old
Chinese 		/*tjeŋ/
Notes 甲文從止丁聲，
徵初文

Definitions

edit

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”).

Compounds

edit

Descendants

edit
Sino-Xenic (正):
  • → Japanese: 正(しょう) (shō); 正(せい) (sei)
  • → Korean: 정(正) (jeong)
  • → Vietnamese: chính (正), chánh (正)

Others:

  • Lao: ຈຽງ (chīang, “first month of the lunar year”)
  • Lü: ᦵᦈᧂ (ṫseng, “first month in Dai lunar calendar, starting in November”)
  • Northern Thai: ᨠ᩠ᨿᨦ (“first month of the lunar year”)
  • Shan: ၸဵင် (tsǎeng, “first month of the Shan year, starting December-January”)
  • Ahom: 𑜋𑜢𑜂𑜫 (chiṅ, “first month of the lunar year”)
  • Vietnamese: giêng (“first month of the Vietnamese lunar year, starting January-February”)

Japanese

edit

Kanji

edit
正

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. correct
  2. justice
  3. (arithmetic) positive
  4. (geometry) regular

Readings

edit

Compounds

edit
Compounds

Derived terms

edit
Derived terms

Etymology 1

edit
Kanji in this term
正
せい
Grade: 1
kan'on

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

正(せい) • (sei) 

  1. correctness

Pronoun

edit

正(せい) • (sei) 

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

Numeral

edit

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.

Etymology 2

edit
Kanji in this term
正
しょう
Grade: 1
goon

Pronunciation

edit

Prefix

edit

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)

Adjective

edit

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

Numeral

edit
Kanji in this term
正
しょう
Grade: 1
on'yomi

正(しょう) • (shō) 

  1. ten-duodecillion (1040)

Etymology 3

edit

Proper noun

edit
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

Korean

edit

Etymology 1

edit

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC tsyengH).

Historical readings

Pronunciation

edit
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [t͡ɕɘ(ː)ŋ]
  • Phonetic hangul: [정(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

edit
Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

正 (eumhun 바를 정 (bareul jeong))

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

Compounds

edit
Compounds

Etymology 2

edit

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC tsyeng).

Historical readings

Pronunciation

edit

Hanja

edit

正 (eumhun 정월(正月) 정)

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

Compounds

edit
Compounds

References

edit
  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

edit

Han character

edit

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.

Derived terms

edit
Compounds

References

edit
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Trần (2004).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bonet (1899).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Nguyễn (2014).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Génibrel (1898).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. ^ Hồ (1976).
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=正&oldid=84767435"