方正 (Fāng zhèng) — square-shaped; neatly angular (of buildings, characters, shapes); (of a person's character) upright and righteous; principled

Definition

Literary/formal adjective meaning 'square and neat' in shape (of buildings, characters, strokes) or 'upright and principled' for a person's character. Far more common in writing than everyday speech.

adjective
square-shapedneatly angular (of buildings, characters, shapes)(of a person's character) upright and righteousprincipled

Examples

  • 方正。
    Zhè ge zì de bǐ huà xiě dé fēi cháng Fāng zhèng.
    The strokes of this character are written very square and neat.
  • 方正，。
    Tā wèi rén Fāng zhèng, cóng bú zuò kuī xīn shì.
    He is an upright person and never does anything unjust.
  • 方正。
    Zhè zuò dà lóu de shè jì hěn Fāng zhèng.
    The design of this building is very square and neat.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

方fāngsquare
正zhèngupright

方 means square and 正 means straight or upright, so 方正 describes something square and upright.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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 →

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