Chinese Character Wiki
直

zhí

straight

Pictograph of a straight line coming from the eye, to depict looking straight at something. The purpose of the stroke at the bottom is unclear.

Components
◎ iconic component

◎  Iconic component

  

characterless component

Depicts a straight line

目 iconic component

目  Iconic component

mù

  

eye

◎ unknown component

◎  Unknown component

  

characterless component

The purpose of this component is unclear.

Evolution

直 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
直 Bronze script Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze script

Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
直 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
直 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
直 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

直  

zhí

straight, erect, vertical; straight; to straighten; fair and reasonable; frank; straightforward; (indicates continuing motion or action); vertical; vertical downward stroke in Chinese characters

直  

Zhí

surname Zhi; Zhi (c. 2000 BC), fifth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝[Yán​dì] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shén​nóng] Farmer God

Most common words with 直
Freq.
Word
Meaning

一直

always

直接

direct

直到

until

简直

simply

直

straight

Component uses

Meaning component in 2 characters (1 verified)

惪 矗

Sound component in 7 characters (5 verified)

惪 值 置 植 殖 埴 稙

Historical pronunciation

Old Chinese

Middle Chinese

Pinyin

Gloss

*N-t<r>ək

drik

zhí

straight


Statistics

HSK level 3

Appears in 98.3982% of movies

178th most common character in movies

255th most common character in books

Miscellaneous

Strokes

8

Unicode

U+76F4

Shuowen

“直，正見也。从，从十，从目。，古文直。”


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