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一本正經

简 一本正经 · 繁 一本正經
Mandarin · pinyin yī běn zhèng jīng

Meanings

  1. (idiom) in deadly earnest; deadpan
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Characters in this entry

一
yī · one; a, an; alone
本
běn · root, origin, source; basis
正
zhèng · right, proper, correct
經
Look up this written character
经
jīng · classic works; pass through
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 一本正經 ↗Words written with 一 ↗Words written with 本 ↗Words written with 正 ↗Words written with 經 ↗Words written with 经 ↗

Mandarin tones

1–3–4–1 · yi1 ben3 zheng4 jing1

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jat1 bun2 zing3 ging1

Cantonese word readings for 一本正經. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

jat1 bun2 zing3 ging1

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) absolutely serious; dead earnest
  2. (idiomatic) deadpan; with a poker face

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack