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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]

Contents

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Alternative formsEdit

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

Han characterEdit

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

Usage notesEdit

  • (tally marks, 5): The successive strokes of 正 ( ) are used in China, Japan, and Korea to designate tallies in votes, scores, points, sushi orders, and the like, much as   is used in Europe, Africa, Australia, and North America. 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 charactersEdit

ReferencesEdit

  • KangXi: page 574, character 2
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16255
  • Dae Jaweon: page 962, character 2
  • Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1436, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+6B63

ChineseEdit

simp. and trad.
 正
variant forms 疋
𤴓
㱏
𣥔
𧾸

Glyph originEdit

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, 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”).

EtymologyEdit

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 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 (tiəng, “accurate; correct; exact; precise; honest”).

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”)

Pronunciation 1Edit

Note:
  • zeng3 - vernacular;
  • zing3 - literary.
  • Hakka
    • Note:
    • chang - vernacular;
    • chṳn - literary.
  • Min Dong
    • Note:
    • ciáng - vernacular;
    • céng - literary.
  • Min Nan
    • Note:
    • chiàⁿ - vernacular;
    • chèng - literary.
  • Wu
    • 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
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/t͡ɕiᴇŋH/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/t͡ɕiɛŋH/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/t͡ɕiæŋH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/ciajŋH/
    Li
    Rong         		/t͡ɕiɛŋH/
    Wang
    Li         		/t͡ɕĭɛŋH/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/t͡ɕi̯ɛŋH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		zhèng
    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/

    DefinitionsEdit

    正

    1. straight; upright; central; in proper position
      Antonyms: 歪 (wāi)
    2. right; proper; correct
    3. exact; standardized; just so
    4. regular-shaped; regular; square
    5. primary; chief; main
    6. pure; unmixed; authentic; true
    7. pretty; attractive; beautiful
    8. honest; upright; honourable
    9. (Cantonese) awesome; fantastic
    10. just now; right now; in the process of
    11. to straighten; to make straight; to adjust
    12. to make right; to rectify; to correct
    13. (tally marks) 5
    14. (numismatics) obverse
    15. (numeral) ten duodecillion(1040)
    16. (mathematics) positive; plus
    17. (physics) positive
    18. (time) sharp
      而家係五點正。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      而家系五点正。 [Cantonese, simp.]
      Ji4 gaa1 hai6 ng5 dim2 zing3. [Jyutping]
      It is currently 5 o'clock.
    19. (Teochew) only; merely
    20. (Teochew) just; just now
    21. (Teochew) only then; only after
    22. (Teochew) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
    23. (Teochew) right (direction)
    24. A surname​.

    CompoundsEdit

    Derived terms from 正

    See alsoEdit

    Chinese numerals
    104 108 1012 1016 1020 1024 1028 1032 1036 1040 1044
    萬／万 億／亿 兆 (Taiwan) 京 (Taiwan) 垓 秭 穰 溝／沟 澗／涧 正 載／载
    萬億／万亿
    (Mainland China)         		億億／亿亿
    (Mainland China)

    Pronunciation 2Edit

    Note:
    • ciăng - vernacular;
    • cĭng - literary.
  • Min Nan
  • Wu
    • 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
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/t͡ɕiᴇŋ/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/t͡ɕiɛŋ/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/t͡ɕiæŋ/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/ciajŋ/
    Li
    Rong         		/t͡ɕiɛŋ/
    Wang
    Li         		/t͡ɕĭɛŋ/
    Bernard
    Karlgren         		/t͡ɕi̯ɛŋ/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		zhēng
    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

    DefinitionsEdit

    正

    1. first (month of the lunar year)
    2. † bull's eye; centre of target
    3. † target; goal
    4. † Original form of 征 (zhēng, “to levy”).
    5. † Original form of 征 (zhēng, “to go on a punitive expedition”).

    CompoundsEdit

    Derived terms from 正

    DescendantsEdit

    Sino-Xenic (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 (tsěng, “first month of the Shan year, starting December-January”)
      • Ahom: 𑜋𑜢𑜂𑜫 (ching, “first month of the lunar year”)

    JapaneseEdit

    KanjiEdit

    正

    (grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    ReadingsEdit

    CompoundsEdit

    Compounds

    NumeralEdit

    正 (hiragana せい, rōmaji sei)

    1. A number of ten-duodecillion(1040) in modern Japanese since 17th century.
    2. 5. 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.

    Derived termsEdit

    Derived terms

    Proper nounEdit

    正 (hiragana ただし, rōmaji Tadashi)

    正 (hiragana まさし, rōmaji Masashi)

    1. A male given name

    KoreanEdit

    HanjaEdit

    正 (eumhun 바를 정 (bareul jeong))

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

    CompoundsEdit

    VietnameseEdit

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