整洁 (zhěng jié) — tidy, neat | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

整洁 emphasizes order and arrangement (a neat desk, tidy clothes) more than cleanliness itself. 干净 focuses on being clean; 整齐 is closer in meaning, stressing orderly arrangement.

adjective

tidyneat

Examples

整洁。
Tā de yī fu zǒng shì hěn zhěng jié.
His clothes are always very neat.
整洁，。
Zhè ge chéng shì hěn zhěng jié, jiē dào shàng yì diǎn lā jī dōu méi yǒu.
This city is very clean and tidy; there is no garbage on the streets.
整洁。
Tā xiě zì de bǐ jì hěn zhěng jié.
Her handwriting is very neat.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

整zhěngorderly

整 and 洁 both describe order and cleanliness, giving 整洁 as neat and tidy.

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.

敕正整

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng整zhěng

Same sound today

整 pairs 敕 as the meaning side with 正 as the sound side.

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 潔; 洁 is its simplified writing.

氵絜潔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

絜

絜jié潔jié

Same sound today

The traditional form 潔 pairs 氵, a water part, with 絜, which gives the sound; the simplified 洁 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Appearance

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