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正要 (zhèng yào) — be just about to, be on the point of (doing something)

Definition

正要 (zhèngyào) means 'was just about to' — a single action on the verge of happening, often paired with 就 to introduce an interruption. Sets up an 'almost... when...' situation.

verb
be just about tobe on the point of (doing something)

Examples

  • 正要，。
    Wǒ zhèng yào chū mén, diàn huà jiù xiǎng le.
    I was just about to go out when the phone rang.
  • 正要，。
    Tā zhèng yào kāi kǒu shuō huà, què bèi lǎo shī jiào zhù le.
    He was just about to speak when the teacher called him to stop.
  • 正要，。
    Wǒ men zhèng yào chū fā, tiān tū rán xià qǐ le dà yǔ.
    We were just about to set off when it suddenly started to rain heavily.

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zhèngjust
要yàowill

正 (just) and 要 (will) combine to mean be on the point of doing something.

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
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 →

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

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

Open 要 →
Appears in
Time (Abstract)

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