直

The Chinese character 直 (zhí) is composed of two parts: the radical ⺼ (shù), which means "straight," and the phonetic component 值 (zhí), which has the same pronunciation as 直. The character 直 originally meant "straight" or "upright," and it has been used in this sense since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). Over time, the meaning of 直 has expanded to include other related concepts, such as "direct," "honest," and "frank."The character 直 is often used in combination with other characters to form compound words and phrases. For example, the word 正直 (zhèngzhí) means "upright" or "honest," while the phrase 直言不讳 (zhíyánbùhuì) means "to speak one's mind frankly." The character 直 can also be used as a verb, meaning "to go straight" or "to head for."In addition to its literal meaning, the character 直 also has a number of figurative meanings. For example, it can be used to describe a person who is honest or straightforward, or a situation that is clear or unambiguous. The character 直 can also be used to express the idea of "going straight to the point" or "getting to the heart of the matter."The character 直 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is used in many everyday words and phrases.