(zhèng yì) - justice, righteousness; just, righteous in Mandarin
zhèngyìTraditional: 正義
Translation
justice, righteousness; just, righteous
Word origin
A compound of 正 (zhèng, upright, correct) and 义 (yì, righteousness, what duty requires), the two moral halves of the classical vocabulary joined into one word.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 正 (zhèng, upright) + 义 (yì, righteousness)
Stroke order
正
义
Examples
。
He spent his whole life fighting for justice.
。
Justice will win out in the end.
。
This was a just war.
。
The law ought to protect justice.
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She has a strong sense of justice.
正义 (zhèng yì) is justice as a principle: the abstract noun of courtrooms, war reporting, superhero films and school debates. 为正义而战 and 正义的一方 are the phrases it lives in.
It doubles as an adjective in front of a noun, always with 的: 正义的战争, 正义的事业. And the derived 正义感 is a sense of justice, the quality you praise in someone who cannot walk past unfairness.
The trap is using it for everyday fairness. Splitting a bill evenly or marking an exam without favouritism is 公平, not 正义, and 这样不正义 sounds absurdly grand where 这样不公平 is what you meant. Keep 正义 for the big moral scale and 公平 for the ordinary one.
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正义: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "正义" (justice, righteousness; just, righteous): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 58.