直 zhí straight
straight; vertical; direct
How to remember 直: 十 ten + 目 eye = straight. At the party the pirate map says ten steps from the oak, so the kids keep one eye on the line and march dead straight.
Component breakdown
直 = 十 ten + 目 eye
- 十 ten
- 目 eye
At the party the pirate map says ten steps from the oak, so the kids keep one eye on the line and march dead straight.
How it came to be
An eye with a line drawn out from it: looking at a thing without turning aside. The old dictionary explains it as seeing squarely.
How it is used
- Two senses: physically "straight/vertical" (直线 zhíxiàn straight line, 垂直 chuízhí perpendicular) and figuratively "frank, direct" (直接 zhíjiē direct, 正直 zhèngzhí upright).
- 一直 (yìzhí) is the workhorse: "straight on" in space (一直走 yìzhí zǒu go straight ahead) and "continuously/all along" in time (我一直等 wǒ yìzhí děng I've been waiting the whole time).
- 简直 (jiǎnzhí) = "simply/downright", an exaggeration marker: 简直不敢相信 (jiǎnzhí bùgǎn xiāngxìn) I simply can't believe it.
Characters built with 直
Words with 直
- 一直yīzhíalwaysHSK 3
- 直到zhídàountilHSK 3
- 直接zhíjiēdirectHSK 4
- 直播zhíbōto broadcast liveHSK 5
- 简直jiǎnzhísimplyHSK 5
- 垂直chuízhíperpendicularHSK 6
- 勇往直前yǒngwǎng-zhíqiánto advance bravelyHSK 7
- 正直zhèngzhíuprightHSK 7
- 直线zhíxiànstraight lineHSK 7
- 直至zhízhìlasting untilHSK 7
- 直观zhíguāndirect observationHSK 7
- 直视zhíshìto look straight atHSK 7
- 直觉zhíjuéintuitionHSK 7
- 径直jìngzhídirectlyHSK 8
- 理直气壮lǐzhí-qìzhuàngin the right and self-confident (idiom)HSK 9
- 直升机zhíshēngjīhelicopterHSK 9
- 直径zhíjìngdiameterHSK 9
- 直辖市zhíxiáshìmunicipality, namely: Beijing 北京, Tianjin 天津, Shanghai 上海 and Chongqing 重庆, the first level administrative subdivisionHSK 9
- 直达zhídáto reach (a place) directlyHSK 9
- 耿直gěngzhíhonestHSK 9
Example sentences
- 她一直等到中午。 Tā yīzhí děngdào zhōngwǔ.She waited all the way till noon.
- 地铁直达那儿。 Dìtiě zhídá nàr.The subway goes there directly.
- 我直接走向卧室。 Wǒ zhíjiē zǒuxiàng wòshì.I go straight toward the bedroom.