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)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "vertical"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "vertical", including 直 (zhí), 纵 (zōng / zòng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "vertical" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 直 (zhí), 纵 (zōng / zòng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhí, zōng, zòng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 直 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 直 zhístraight; vertical; frank; directly; straightly; uprightUseful words: 一直, 直接
- 纵 zōng / zòngvertical; even if; releaseUseful words: 操纵, 纵横
Common words for these 2 "vertical" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 直 (zhí) — so "vertical" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
一直yī zhístraight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through直接zhí jiēdirect; immediate; straightforward直到zhí dàountil操纵cāo zòngto operate; to control; to rig; to manipulate纵横zòng hénglit. warp and weft in weaving; vertically and horizontal; length and breadth; criss-crossed放纵fàng zòngto indulge; to pamper; to connive at; permissive
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 "vertical".
纵 zōng / zòng — vertical; even if; release
操场上画着许多纵横交错的线。Cāo chǎng shàng huà zhe xǔ duō zòng héng jiāo cuò de xiàn.Many crisscrossing lines are drawn on the playground.
Common words: 操纵 (cāo zòng)、纵横 (zòng héng)、放纵 (fàng zòng)
All 2 characters
Open 直、纵 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.