正 Zhèng 正 | Correct

正 is an ideograph consisting of the characters and . This differs from its Oracle Bone form, which was written with the characters over .

Some scholars believe the original meaning of 正 is "conquest" by drawing a correlation between the use of as population, Other scholars interpret the square shape of as completion and interpret 正 as “having reached completion or the correct end.” Others interpret it as “stop” and “line,” meaning: “don’t cross the line.” While some scholars interpret the current form as “foot” and “one,” meaning the pursuit of a basic fundamental “right’, all goals beyond that are lofty or superfluous.

When used with other words, 正 lends meanings such as: straight, proper, correct, and exact; and can be found as a radical component in many words such as: 整 (whole), 政 (politics), and 证 (certificate).

  • Category:Radical, Word
  • Formation Method:Ideograph

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