直 meaning and stroke order
Straight; to straighten; fair and reasonable
How to write 直, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 直
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- straight
- to straighten
- fair and reasonable
- frank
- straightforward
- (indicates continuing motion or action)
How 直 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To look someone in the eye 目.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 直
Picture an eye 目 looking straight ahead, with a cross 十 above it like a sight line and a flat line 一 below as level ground. The etymology hint says it is about looking someone in the eye, which is a straight, direct, and honest act.
直 (zhí) describes things that are physically straight and people who speak frankly, and it appears in many common words like 一直 (yīzhí, always; all the way) and 直接 (zhíjiē, directly). Example: 你一直往前走。(Nǐ yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu.) Keep walking straight ahead.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 直 with 真 (zhēn, true), which looks similar but has 八 at the bottom instead of a single line 一. Also note the bottom line of 直 wraps under the left side of 目 in many fonts, so do not write it as a separate short stroke floating below.
Common words with 直
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一直 | yīzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through | HSK 2 |
| 直接 | zhíjiē | directly; direct | HSK 2 |
| 直到 | zhídào | until | HSK 3 |
| 简直 | jiǎnzhí | simply; really | HSK 3 |
| 直播 | zhíbō | (TV, radio) to broadcast live; live broadcast | HSK 3 |
| 直线 | zhíxiàn | straight line; sharply (rise or fall) | HSK 5 |
| 直升机 | zhíshēngjī | helicopter | HSK 6 |
| 直觉 | zhíjué | intuition | HSK 7-9 |
| 正直 | zhèngzhí | upright; upstanding | HSK 7-9 |
| 直至 | zhízhì | lasting until; up till (the present) | HSK 7-9 |
| 直奔 | zhíbèn | to go straight to; to make a beeline for | HSK 7-9 |
| 直视 | zhíshì | to look straight at | HSK 7-9 |
| 勇往直前 | yǒngwǎng-zhíqián | to advance bravely | HSK 7-9 |
| 直达 | zhídá | to reach (a place) directly; (transportation) to reach the destination without changing se | HSK 7-9 |
直 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 直
Learning 直 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 直
How many strokes are in 直?
直 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 直 mean?
直 (zhí) means straight; to straighten; fair and reasonable. A common word with it is 一直 (yīzhí), meaning "straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through".
How do you pronounce 直?
直 is pronounced zhí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 直?
The radical of 直 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 直 under this radical.
Is 直 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 直 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 简直 mean and how is it different from 直接?
简直 (jiǎnzhí) means simply or practically, used to exaggerate, as in 简直太好了 (it is simply wonderful). 直接 (zhíjiē) means directly, as in going straight to a place or saying something without detours.
Can 直 describe a person's personality?
Yes. Saying someone is 很直 or uses the phrase 性格直 means they are frank and straightforward. It can be a compliment or a gentle way of saying someone is blunt.