正气 (zhèng qì) — (noun) integrity, moral rectitude; healthy atmosphere (in society); (noun, traditional Chinese medicine) vital energy (the body's resistance to disease)

Definition

正义之气 ('righteous spirit') in the moral sense; also the TCM term for vital energy that resists disease. A general, abstract quality — vs 骨气, which is personal backbone under pressure, and 廉正, which describes upright conduct.

noun
integritymoral rectitudehealthy atmosphere (in society)(noun, traditional Chinese medicine) vital energy (the body's resistance to disease)

Examples

  • 正气,。
    Zuò rén yào yǒu zhèng qì, bù néng wèi le lì yì chū mài péng you.
    A person should have integrity and not betray friends for profit.
  • 正气,。
    Shè huì yīng dāng chàng dǎo zhèng qì, dǎ jī wāi fēng xié qì.
    Society should advocate healthy atmosphere and combat unhealthy trends.
  • 正气。
    Zhōng yī rèn wéi zhèng qì bù zú shí rén jiù róng yì shēng bìng.
    TCM believes that when vital energy is insufficient, people are prone to get sick.

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zhèngupright
气qìvital force

正 means upright and 气 is vital force, so 正气 is moral spirit or healthy energy.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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