ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
直
straight; direct; continuously
zhí
8 strokes · 十 + 目 — an eye sighting along a straight line · HSK 2
Where 直 comes from
An eye 目 with a sighting line above: looking dead ahead. A gaze that doesn't bend is straight; action that doesn't bend is direct, honest, continuous.
直 in Chinese culture
一直 'all along / keep going' is among the most-used adverbs in Mandarin: 一直走 keep walking straight. 直接 direct, 直播 live-stream ('direct broadcast') — the word behind China's entire livestream economy.
Example
一直 yìzhí — continuously; all along
一直走，然后左转。
Yìzhí zǒu, ránhòu zuǒ zhuǎn.
Go straight, then turn left.
How to remember it
An EYE sighting down a line — STRAIGHT ahead, no bends.
直播 'livestreaming' is literally 'straight broadcast' — no cuts between camera and viewer.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 直
一直 yìzhí
all along
直接 zhíjiē
direct
Related characters
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