正
Meanings · zing3
- (noun) the first month of a lunar year; (adjective) 1. fabulous; 2. amazing (a movie, performance, etc.); (adverb) exactly;
Meanings · zeng3
- authentic
- orthodox
- standard (adjective)
- smart
Meanings · zing1
- the new
- first month
Meanings · zing3
- straight
- upright
- proper
- main
- principal
- to correct
- to rectify
- exactly
- just (at that time)
- right (in that place)
- (math.) positive
- right in the middle
- pure
- authentic
- shape with regular edges
- just right
- just happening
- continuing
- exactly like
- very strong (sun)
- formal
- precisely
- regular
- obverse
- sharp (time)
- to straighten out
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 正 zhēng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinfirst month of the lunar year
- 正 zhèng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinstraight; upright; proper; main; principal; to correct; to rectify; exactly; …
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: zheng4. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 30 senses · 3 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
zeng3 · zing1 · zing3
Cantonese word readings for 正. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- straight; upright in proper position; middle
- right; proper; correct; upright
- obverse; right
- regular; standard
- precisely; directly; perfectly
- primary; chief; main; full
- pure; unmixed; authentic; true
- pretty; attractive; beautiful
- (Cantonese) awesome; fantastic
- just now; right now; in the process of
- just; exactly; precisely
- to straighten; to make straight
- to make right; to rectify; to correct
- (numeral) ten duodecillion(10⁴⁰)
- (mathematics) regular
- (mathematics) positive; plus
- (physics) positive
- (time) sharp; on the dot
- (Hakka, Teochew) only; merely
- (Hakka, Teochew) just; just now
- (Hakka, Teochew) only then; only after
- (Hakka, Teochew) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
- (Southern Min) right (direction)
- a surname
- (tally marks) five (successive strokes of 正 are added in writing sequence to tally a count of five per character)
character
- first (month of the lunar year)
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) bull's eye; centre of target
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) target; goal
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) original form of 征 (zhēng, “to levy”)
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) original form of 征 (zhēng, “to go on a punitive expedition”)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack