直

zhí
HSK 5
#255 most
frequent character
straight, to straighten
adjective
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

直 shows an eye checking whether an object is straight. That gives the first meaning, 'not crooked,' which grew to 'straight' and 'vertical.' 十 shí supplies the sound but began as the straight line being inspected.

Drawn as: eye checking object

直 as a component in other characters

sound6 characters
值置植殖埴稙
picture1 character
矗

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Example Sentences

这条路很直。
zhè tiáo lù hěn zhí 。
This road is very straight.
请把这根绳子拉直。
qǐng bǎ zhè gēn shéngzǐ lāzhí 。
Please pull this rope straight.
他说话很直，直来直去。
tā shuōhuà hěn zhí ， zhí lái zhí qù 。
He speaks very frankly, straightforwardly.

Words with similar meanings

公平gōngpíng
fair
More focused on justice and impartiality rather than just physical straightness.
坦率tǎnshuài
frank
Specifically related to being open and honest in communication.

Homophones

值zhí
value, be worth
执zhí
to execute (a plan), to grasp
职zhí
office, duty
植zhí
to plant
殖zhí
to grow, to reproduce

Words Starting With 直

直接zhí jiē
direct; opposite: indirect 間接|间接; immediate; directly; straightforward
直播zhí bō
live broadcast (not recorded); direct internet broadcasting

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Public Lists with 直

Basic Verbs
Core action verbs like 'go,' 'come,' 'eat,' 'see,' commonly encountered in HSK.
Common Adjectives
Descriptive words for size, quality, temperature, mood, and more.
HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Advanced HSK5 Terms
Vocabulary commonly seen in HSK5 practice, bridging mid-high level usage.