正 zhēng / zhèng — Chinese 1st month of year; just (right); main; upright; straight; correct
他正在打电话。Tā zhèng zài dǎ diàn huà.He is making a phone call.
Common words: 正在 (zhèng zài)、真正 (zhēn zhèng)、正常 (zhèng cháng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "upright"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "upright", including 正 (zhēng / zhèng), 直 (zhí). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "upright" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 正 (zhēng / zhèng), 直 (zhí) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhēng, zhèng, zhí — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 正 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 正 zhēng / zhèngChinese 1st month of year; just (right); main; upright; straight; correctUseful words: 正在, 真正
- 直 zhístraight; vertical; frank; directly; straightly; uprightUseful words: 一直, 直接
Common words for these 2 "upright" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 正 (zhēng / zhèng) — so "upright" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "upright".
直 zhí — straight; vertical; frank; directly; straightly; upright
请一直往前走。Qǐng yì zhí wǎng qián zǒu.Please go straight ahead.
Common words: 一直 (yī zhí)、直接 (zhí jiē)、直到 (zhí dào)
All 2 characters
Open 正、直 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.