Meaning of 正常
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- normal; regular
How to use 正常
正常 describes things that are in their normal state, like health, behavior, or a machine that works fine. It often appears after 很 or in the pattern 是正常的. Example: 你紧张是很正常的。(Nǐ jǐnzhāng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.) It is normal for you to be nervous.
正 (zhèng) means straight or proper, and 常 (cháng) means usual or often. Something that is properly the usual way is 正常 (zhèngcháng), normal.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 正常 (normal) with 经常 (jīngcháng, often) because both contain 常. 正常 describes a state, while 经常 describes how frequently something happens, so 我正常去 is wrong when you mean 我经常去 (I often go).
正常 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
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常 cháng · always · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 正常.
| 非常 | fēicháng | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 常常 | chángcháng | frequently; often |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct; sound; right; proper |
| 经常 | jīngcháng | frequently; constantly; regularly; often; day-to-day; everyday; daily |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 正好 | zhènghǎo | just (in time); just right |
| 平常 | píngcháng | ordinary; common |
| 常见 | cháng jiàn | commonly seen; common |
| 常用 | cháng yòng | in common usage |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
Questions about 正常
What does 正常 mean?
正常 (zhèngcháng) means "normal; regular" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 正常?
正常 is made of 2 characters: 正 (5 strokes), 常 (11 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 正常 an HSK word?
Yes. 正常 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 正常?
The direct opposite is 不正常 (bù zhèngcháng), not normal. In more formal writing you may also see 异常 (yìcháng), abnormal or unusual.
Can 正常 be used as an adverb?
Yes, it can come before a verb, sometimes with 地, as in 电脑正常运行 (diànnǎo zhèngcháng yùnxíng), the computer is running normally. It means doing something in the normal way.