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字正腔圓

简字正腔圆 · 繁字正腔圓

Mandarin · pinyin zì zhèng qiāng yuán

to enunciate beautifully (in speaking or singing) (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

字: zì · letter, character, word
正: zhèng · right, proper, correct
腔: qiāng · chest cavity; hollow in body
圓: yuán · circle; round, circular; complete
圆: yuán · circle; round, circular; complete

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–1–2 · zi4 zheng4 qiang1 yuan2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

字正腔圓 · find source passages ↗ · 字正腔圆 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi6 zing3 hong1 jyun4

Cantonese word readings for 字正腔圓. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) pronouncing every word clearly and correctly

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

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