正值 (zhèng zhí) — (v.p.) to coincide with; to be right at (a time or period)

Definition

正值 marks that an event is happening at a significant moment or period (a season, an age, an occasion) — used to link a time frame to what occurs within it, like 'right during' or 'at the height of'.

verb
(v.p.) to coincide withto be right at (a time or period)

Examples

  • 正值,。
    Xiàn zài zhèng zhí chūn yùn, huǒ chē piào hěn nán mǎi.
    It is right during the Spring Festival travel season now, so train tickets are hard to buy.
  • 正值,。
    Tā zhèng zhí qīng chūn nián huá, chōng mǎn le huó lì.
    She is in the prime of her youth, full of energy.
  • 正值。
    Zhōng qiū jié zhèng zhí shǎng yuè de hǎo shí hou.
    The Mid-Autumn Festival is exactly the right time to admire the moon.

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.

正zhèngexactly

'正' means exactly, and '值' means to meet or occur, together meaning to be right at a time.

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
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 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
直
直zhí值zhí
Same sound today

值 is made from 亻 (written in full as 人, a person) and 直, with 直 giving the sound.

Open 值 →
Appears in

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