TongTong
Sign in

立正 (lì zhèng) — (verb) to stand at attention (military posture); (interjection) Attention! (military command); (verb, slang) to teach someone a lesson, to punish

Definition

Military command meaning 'stand at attention / Attention!'. The slang sense ('teach someone a lesson') treats punishment as putting someone 'in their place' — like a strict drill sergeant move.

verb
to stand at attention (military posture)(verb, slang) to teach someone a lessonto punish
interjection
Attention! (military command)

Examples

  • ：“立正！”
    Jiào guān hǎn dào: "lì zhèng!"
    The instructor shouted: "Attention!"
  • 立正。
    Shì bīng men bì xū xué huì lì zhèng.
    Soldiers must learn to stand at attention.
  • 立正。
    Tā zhè cì kě bèi lǎo bǎn lì zhèng le.
    This time he was really taught a lesson by the boss.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

立lìstand
正zhèngupright

立 'stand' and 正 'upright' combine as the command to stand upright.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

立 pictures a person standing on the ground.

Open 立 →

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 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.