正义 meaning in English
justice; righteousness; just; righteous
Meaning of 正义
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- justice; righteousness
- just; righteous
- (in the titles of traditional commentaries) correct interpretation
How to use 正义
正义 is used as a noun for justice and as an adjective meaning just or righteous, often in serious or formal contexts like law, news, and stories about heroes. Example: 他们为正义而战。(Tāmen wèi zhèngyì ér zhàn.) They fight for justice.
正 (zhèng) means straight or correct, and 义 (yì) means what is morally right. Put together, 正义 is doing what is straight and morally right, which is justice.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 义 (yì) with 又 (yòu) or 叉 (chā) because the shapes are close. 义 has a dot on top of the crossing strokes. Also, 正 here is fourth tone zhèng, not first tone zhēng as in 正月 (zhēngyuè).
正义 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
正 zhèng · straight · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
义 yì · right conduct · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 正义.
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct; sound; right; proper |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 正好 | zhènghǎo | just (in time); just right |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
| 意义 | yìyì | sense; meaning |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | formal; official |
| 义务 | yìwù | duty; obligation (CL:項|项[xiang4]); volunteer (work etc) |
| 含义 | hányì | meaning (implicit in a phrase); implied meaning |
| 改正 | gǎizhèng | to correct; to amend |
Questions about 正义
What does 正义 mean?
正义 (zhèngyì) means "justice; righteousness; just; righteous" and is used as a noun and adjective.
How do you write 正义?
正义 is made of 2 characters: 正 (5 strokes), 义 (3 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 正义 an HSK word?
Yes. 正义 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 正义 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 正义 is written 正義.
What is the difference between 正义 and 公平?
正义 (zhèngyì) is about moral rightness and justice in a big, principled sense. 公平 (gōngpíng) means fair or equal treatment, such as a fair game or a fair price. You fight for 正义, but you ask for a 公平 deal.
How do you say a righteous person or a sense of justice?
A sense of justice is 正义感 (zhèngyìgǎn), as in 他很有正义感 (He has a strong sense of justice). A just cause is 正义的事业 (zhèngyì de shìyè), using 正义 as an adjective with 的.