Meaning of 正式
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- formal; official
How to use 正式
正式 describes things that are official or done properly, like meetings, clothing, announcements, or starting a job. It often appears before a noun or before a verb as 正式 + verb. Example: 他下个月正式上班。(Tā xià ge yuè zhèngshì shàngbān.) He officially starts work next month.
正 (zhèng) means straight or proper, and 式 (shì) means style or form. Something done in the proper form is formal and official.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 正式 (zhèngshì) with 正是 (zhèngshì), which sounds exactly the same but means "is precisely." Check the second character: 式 is form or style, 是 is the verb "to be."
正式 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
式 shì · type · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 正式.
| 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 |
| 方式 | fāngshì | way; method; manner; mode; pattern (of behavior etc) |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
| 形式 | xíngshì | outer appearance; form |
| 改正 | gǎizhèng | to correct; to amend |
| 正如 | zhèngrú | just as; precisely as |
| 正义 | zhèngyì | justice; righteousness; just; righteous |
Questions about 正式
What does 正式 mean?
正式 (zhèngshì) means "formal; official" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 正式?
正式 is made of 2 characters: 正 (5 strokes), 式 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 正式 an HSK word?
Yes. 正式 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 正式?
The common opposite is 非正式 (fēi zhèngshì), meaning informal or unofficial. For casual speech or clothing you can also say 随便 (suíbiàn), relaxed or casual.
Can 正式 be used to describe clothes?
Yes. 正式的衣服 (zhèngshì de yīfu) means formal clothes, and 穿得很正式 (chuān de hěn zhèngshì) means dressed very formally.