正 meaning and stroke order
Straight; upright; proper
How to write 正, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 正
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- straight
- upright
- proper
- main
- principal
- to correct
- first month of the lunar year
How 正 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A foot 止 stopping in the right place 一.
Radical: 止 (to stop), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 正
The bottom part 止 is a foot, and the line 一 on top marks a spot. A foot 止 stopping in exactly the right place 一 is 正 (zhèng), straight and correct.
正 appears in many everyday words, such as 正确 (zhèngquè, correct), 正常 (zhèngcháng, normal), and 正好 (zhènghǎo, just right). Before a verb, 正在 (zhèngzài) shows an action happening right now: 我正在吃饭。(Wǒ zhèngzài chī fàn.) I am eating right now.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 正 with 止 (zhǐ, to stop), which lacks the top stroke, or write 五 (wǔ, five) by mistake. Also remember 真正 (zhēnzhèng) has two similar sounds but different tones: zhēn is first tone, zhèng is fourth.
Common words with 正
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing | HSK 1 |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed | HSK 2 |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular | HSK 2 |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct; sound; right; proper | HSK 2 |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely | HSK 2 |
| 正好 | zhènghǎo | just (in time); just right | HSK 2 |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case | HSK 3 |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | formal; official | HSK 3 |
| 改正 | gǎizhèng | to correct; to amend | HSK 4 |
| 正如 | zhèngrú | just as; precisely as | HSK 5 |
| 正义 | zhèngyì | justice; righteousness; just; righteous | HSK 5 |
| 公正 | gōngzhèng | just; fair; equitable | HSK 5 |
| 正规 | zhèngguī | regular; according to standards | HSK 5 |
| 正版 | zhèngbǎn | genuine; legal | HSK 5 |
正 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 正
Learning 正 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 正
How many strokes are in 正?
正 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 正 mean?
正 (zhèng) means straight; upright; proper. A common word with it is 正在 (zhèngzài), meaning "to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing".
How do you pronounce 正?
正 is pronounced zhèng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 正?
The radical of 正 is 止, which carries the idea of "to stop". Dictionaries list 正 under this radical.
Is 正 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 正 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 正 pronounced zhēng instead of zhèng?
It is read zhēng when it refers to the first month of the lunar year. The most common example is 正月 (zhēngyuè), the first lunar month around Chinese New Year.
What does 反正 mean, since 反 means opposite?
反正 (fǎnzhèng) does not mean right and wrong. It means anyway or in any case, as in 反正我不去。(Fǎnzhèng wǒ bú qù.) I am not going anyway.