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

Stroke order

Stroke order

Alternative forms

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

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

Usage notes

• (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

• 征, 定, 昰, 是, 症, 整

References

• KangXi: 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

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

Glyph origin

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”).

Etymology

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 (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 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): zhèng (zheng⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄥˋ

  (Chengdu, SP): zen⁴

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zeng³, zing³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chang / chṳn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): zang⁴ / zen⁴

• Min Dong (BUC): ciáng / céng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chiàⁿ / chèng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zian³

• Wu (Wiktionary): tsen (T2)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: zhèng
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄥˋ
    • Wade–Giles: chêng4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jenq
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: zen⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zen
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sən²¹³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: zeng³, zing³
    • Yale: jeng, jing
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzeng³, dzing³
    • Guangdong Romanization: zéng³, jing³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛːŋ³³/, /t͡sɪŋ³³/

Note:

• zeng3 - vernacular;
• zing3 - literary.

Hakka

• (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chang / chṳn
  • Hakka Romanization System: zang / ziin
  • Hagfa Pinyim: zang⁴ / zin⁴
  • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ⁵⁵/, /t͡sɨn⁵⁵/
• (Meixian)
  • Guangdong: zang⁴ / zen⁴
  • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ⁵³/, /t͡sən⁵³/

Note:

• chang/zang4 - vernacular;
• chṳn/zen4 - literary.

Min Dong

• (Fuzhou)
  • Bàng-uâ-cê: ciáng / céng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siɑŋ²¹³/, /t͡sɛiŋ²¹³/

Note:

• ciáng - vernacular;
• céng - literary.

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiàⁿ
  • Tâi-lô: tsiànn
  • Phofsit Daibuun: cviax
  • IPA (Taipei): /t͡ɕiã¹¹/
  • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡ɕiã⁴¹/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕiã²¹/
• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chèng
  • Tâi-lô: tsìng
  • Phofsit Daibuun: zexng
  • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡ɕiɪŋ⁴¹/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕiɪŋ²¹/
  • IPA (Taipei): /t͡ɕiɪŋ¹¹/

Note:

• chiàⁿ - vernacular;
• chèng - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: zian³
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsiàⁿ
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩã²¹³/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: tsen (T2)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡səɲ³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡ɕiᴇŋ^H/

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
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*teŋ-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*tjeŋs/

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

正

1. straight; upright; central; in proper position

   Antonym: 歪 (wāi)

2. right; proper; correct
3. exact; standardized; just so
4. precisely; directly; perfectly
5. regular-shaped; regular; square
6. primary; chief; main
7. pure; unmixed; authentic; true
8. pretty; attractive; beautiful
9. honest; upright; honourable
10. (Cantonese) awesome; fantastic
11. just now; right now; in the process of
12. to straighten; to make straight; to adjust
13. to make right; to rectify; to correct
14. (tally marks) 5
15. (numismatics) obverse
16. (numeral) ten duodecillion(10⁴⁰)
17. (mathematics) positive; plus
18. (physics) positive
19. (time) sharp; on the dot

    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 precisely 5 o'clock.

20. (Teochew) only; merely
21. (Teochew) just; just now
22. (Teochew) only then; only after
23. (Teochew) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
24. (Min Nan) right (direction)
25. A surname​.
26. Individual strokes are added in writing sequence to tally a count of five per character.

Synonyms

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

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		右
Mandarin	Beijing	右
	Taiwan	右
	Malaysia	右
	Singapore	右
Cantonese	Guangzhou	右
	Hong Kong	右
	Macau	右
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	右
	Singapore (Guangfu)	右
Min Dong	Fuzhou	右
Min Nan	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
Wu	Ningbo	順手半邊

Antonyms

• (right): (Min Nan) 倒 (tò, “left”)

Compounds

See 正/derived terms § Chinese pronunciation 1.

See also

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

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhēng (zheng¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zing¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): châng
• Min Dong (BUC): ciăng / cĭng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): chiaⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zian¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): tsen (T1)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: zhēng
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄥ
    • Wade–Giles: chêng1
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jeng
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jheng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: zing¹
    • Yale: jīng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzing¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: jing¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɪŋ⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: châng
    • Hakka Romanization System: zang´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡saŋ²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ciăng / cĭng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siaŋ⁵⁵/, /t͡siŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• ciăng - vernacular;
• cĭng - literary.

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiaⁿ
  • Tâi-lô: tsiann
  • Phofsit Daibuun: cviaf
  • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡ɕiã³³/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡ɕiã⁴⁴/
• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: zian¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsiaⁿ
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩã³³/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: tsen (T1)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡səɲ⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡ɕiᴇŋ/

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
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zing1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.teŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*tjeŋ/

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

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”).

Compounds

See 正/derived terms § Chinese pronunciation 2.

Descendants

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 (tsěng, “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

Kanji

正

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
• Kun: ただしい (tadashii, 正しい, Jōyō); ただす (tadasu, 正す, Jōyō); まさ (masa, 正, Jōyō); まさに (masani, 正に)
• Nanori: おお (ō); くに (kuni); ま (ma); まさし (masashi); ただし (tadashi)

Compounds

See 正/derived terms § Japanese.

Numeral

Kanji in this term
正
せい Grade: 1
kan’on

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.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 正(せい)史(し) (seishi)
• 正(せい)義(ぎ) (seigi)
• 正(せい)確(かく) (seikaku)
• 正(せい)眼(がん) (seigan)
• 正(せい)鵠(こく) (seikoku)
• 正(せい)式(しき) (seishiki)
• 正(せい)規(き) (seiki)
• 正(せい)解(かい) (seikai)
• 正(せい)史(し) (seishi)
• 正(せい)使(し) (seishi)
• 正(せい)視(し) (seishi)
• 正(せい)書(しょ) (seisho)
• 正(せい)字(じ) (seiji)
• 正(せい)邪(じゃ) (seija)
• 正(せい)常(じょう) (seijō)
• 正(せい)数(すう) (seisū)
• 正(せい)々(せい)堂(どう)々(どう) (seiseidōdō)
• 正(せい)則(そく) (seisoku)
• 正(せい)道(どう) (seidō)
• 正(せい)犯(はん) (seihan)
• 正(せい)否(ひ) (seihi)
• 正(せい)比(ひ)例(れい) (seihirei)
• 正(せい)文(ぶん) (seibun)
• 正(せい)論(ろん) (seiron)

Prefix

Kanji in this term
正
しょう Grade: 1
goon

正(しょう) • (shō-) 

1. (historical) "senior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)

   Antonym: 従 (ju-)

   正(しょう)一(いち)位(い)

   shōichii

   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

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

Proper noun

Kanji in this term
正
ただし Grade: 1
nanori

正(ただし) • (Tadashi) 

Kanji in this term
正
まさし Grade: 1
nanori

正(まさし) • (Masashi) 

1. A male given name

Numeral

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

正(しょう) • (shō) 

1. ten-duodecillion(10⁴⁰)

---

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC t͡ɕiᴇŋ^H).

Historical readings
Recorded as Middle Korean 져ᇰ〮 (Yale: cyéng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448. Recorded as Middle Korean 졍訓 (Yale: cyeng) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʌ̹(ː)ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [정(ː)]
  • Long vowel distinction only applies at the initial position. Most speakers no longer distinguish vowel length at any position.

Hanja

Wikisource

正 (eumhun 바를 정 (bareul jeong))

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

Compounds

See 正/derived terms § Korean etymology 1.

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 正 (MC t͡ɕiᴇŋ).

Historical readings
Recorded as Middle Korean 져ᇰ (Yale: cyeng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [정]

Hanja

正 (eumhun 정월(正月) 정 (jeong'wol jeong))

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

Compounds

See 正/derived terms § Korean etymology 2.

References

• 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

Han character

正: Hán Việt readings: chinh (之(chi)盛(thịnh)切(thiết)), chánh, chính
正: Nôm readings: chánh, chênh, chính, chếnh, chiếng, chỉnh, giêng

1. Hán tự form of chánh (“chief; head”).
2. Hán tự form of chính (“main; major, chief; just, righteous”).
3. Nôm form of chếnh.

Derived terms

See 正/derived terms § Vietnamese.