Meaning
Chinese 1st month of year; just (right); main; upright; straight; correct
Chinese: 正确、正当或正在。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “zheng” becomes a different word in each tone. 正 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 正在zhèng zàito be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing
- 真正zhēn zhènggenuine; real; true; really
- 正常zhèng chángnormal; regular
- 正确zhèng quècorrect; sound; right; proper
- 正是zhèng shìis precisely
Example Sentence
他正在打电话。Tā zhèng zài dǎ diàn huà.He is making a phone call.
他Tāhe正zhèngfirst month of the lunar y在zàiat打电话dǎ diàn huàto make a telephone call。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
一 (a goal/line) over 止 (a foot): walking straight toward the mark — ‘straight, upright; correct; just, exactly; main’ (zhèng); read zhēng, the first lunar month (正月).
A way to remember it
Step straight to the line — upright, correct.
Easy to confuse with
- 止‘Stop’: 正 without the top line.