照直 (zhào zhí) — straight; straightforwardly (in speech or action)

Definition

照直 means 'straight, directly, without detour' — used both for physical direction (walk straight ahead) and for frank speech (speak straightforwardly, no beating around the bush). The reduplication 照直地 is also seen before verbs.

adverb
straightstraightforwardly (in speech or action)

Examples

  • 照直，。
    Nǐ yǒu shén me xiǎng fǎ jiù zhào zhí shuō, bié rào wān zi.
    Just say what you think directly, don't beat around the bush.
  • 照直，。
    Tā zhào zhí wǎng qián zǒu, lián tóu yě bù huí.
    He walked straight ahead without even looking back.
  • 照直，。
    Qǐng nǐ zhào zhí huí dá wǒ de wèn tí, bú yào yǐn mán.
    Please answer my question straightforwardly, don't hide anything.

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.

照zhàodirectly
直zhístraight

照 means directly or according to and 直 means straight; together they express going or speaking straight ahead.

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
昭
昭zhāo照zhào
Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

Open 照 →

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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