正 (zhèng) is a Chinese character meaning “straight”. It is written from 一 (one) and 止 (stop), one above the other, and takes 5 strokes. It has a second reading, zhēng, which turns up in 正月 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “straight; correct”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 止
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字·正部：正，是也。从止，一以止
Memory aid
One flat line (一) on top, and a foot (止) halted right under it. Stop exactly on the line, not past it — that is straight, that is correct.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 正在zhèng zàiin the middle of (doing something); currently正 = zhèngHSK 2
- 正好zhèng hǎojust right; exactly; as it happens正 = zhèngHSK 3
- 正直zhèng zhíhonest; upright正 = zhèng
- 纠正jiū zhèngto correct; to put right正 = zhèng
- 正宗zhèng zōngauthentic; orthodox正 = zhèng
- 真正zhēn zhènggenuine; real; truly正 = zhèng
- 矫正jiǎo zhèngto correct; to put right正 = zhèng
Go deeper
All readings
straight; correct
straight; upright; correct; exactly; right in the middle of (doing something)
不歪、不斜；对的、合乎标准的。也表示恰好，或动作正在进行。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 正在zhèng zàiin the middle of (doing something); currently正 = zhèngHSK 2
- 正好zhèng hǎojust right; exactly; as it happens正 = zhèngHSK 3
- 正直zhèng zhíhonest; upright正 = zhèng
- 纠正jiū zhèngto correct; to put right正 = zhèng
- 正宗zhèng zōngauthentic; orthodox正 = zhèng
- 真正zhēn zhènggenuine; real; truly正 = zhèng
- 矫正jiǎo zhèngto correct; to put right正 = zhèng
first month of the lunar year
the first month of the lunar year — used in the word 正月
农历的第一个月，只用在「正月」等少数词里。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 正月zhēng yuèthe first month of the lunar year正 = zhēng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 正 mean?
正 (zhèng) means straight; upright; correct; exactly; right in the middle of (doing something).
How do you pronounce 正?
Its main reading is zhèng. It also has a second reading, zhēng, which only shows up in certain words such as 正月 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 正 sometimes pronounced zhēng?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 正月 it is read zhēng.
What parts is 正 made of?
一 (one) and 止 (stop), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·正部：正，是也。从止，一以止. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 正 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 正?
止. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 正?
Common ones are 正在 and 正好. The reading of 正 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.