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正宗 (zhèng zōng) — (adjective) authentic, genuine, true to the original tradition; (noun) orthodox school, authentic tradition

Definition

正宗 stresses authenticity to a tradition or origin (e.g. a dish, school, craft), used as both adjective and noun. 地道 is the everyday word for 'authentic-tasting/feeling' (especially food); 确凿 is only for irrefutable evidence.

adjective
authenticgenuinetrue to the original tradition
noun
orthodox schoolauthentic tradition

Examples

  • 正宗。
    Zhè jiā cān guǎn de chuān cài hěn zhèng zōng.
    The Sichuan cuisine at this restaurant is very authentic.
  • 正宗。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí gè zhèng zōng de jǐng dé zhèn cí qì.
    I bought an authentic Jingdezhen porcelain piece.
  • 正宗。
    Tā shì tài jí quán de zhèng zōng chuán rén.
    He is an orthodox inheritor of Tai Chi.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

正zhèngorthodox
宗zōngschool

正 means orthodox and 宗 is school, so 正宗 is authentic tradition.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 示示shìspirit tablet

宗 pairs 宀, a house, with 示, a spirit tablet, to show an ancestral shrine or temple.

Open 宗 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

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