直体 (zhí tī) — straight body (position, especially in gymnastics or diving)

Definition

In gymnastics and diving, 直体 means the body is held straight and rigid — neither bent (屈体) nor tucked (团身). It describes a line position, not a posture in daily life.

noun
straight body (position, especially in gymnastics or diving)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 直体。
    Tā zài tiào shuǐ bǐ sài zhōng zuò le yí gè wán měi de zhí tī dòng zuò.
    He performed a perfect straight body dive in the competition.
  • 直体。
    Liàn xí zhí tī zhuǎn tǐ xū yào hěn qiáng de hé xīn lì liàng.
    Practicing a straight body twist requires strong core strength.
  • 直体。
    Zhè míng tǐ cāo yùn dòng yuán zài dān gàng shàng wán chéng le zhí tī kōng fān.
    This gymnast completed a straight body somersault on the horizontal bar.

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.

直zhístraight
体tǐbody

直 (straight) describes 体 (body), giving the straight-body position.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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