正義

See also: 正义

Chinese

		just (right); main; upright just (right); main; upright; straight; correct; principle; Chinese 1st month of year	justice; righteousness; meaning
trad. (正義)		正	義
simp. (正义)		正	义

Etymology

The classical senses originally referred to “proper righteousness” (found in the Xunzi) and later “correct meaning” or “orthodox interpretation” (frequently used in the titles of official commentaries, such as the Wujing Zhengyi).

The modern noun sense of “justice” (fairness, legal justice) is a semantic loan from Japanese 正義 (seigi), which was repurposed during the Meiji era to translate Western legal and philosophical concepts of justice.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhèngyì

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄥˋ ㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zing³ ji⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chṳn-ngi
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chèng-gī

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zian³ ngi⁶

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵tsen-gni₆
• Xiang (Hengyang, Wiktionary): jin⁴ ni

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhèngyì
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄥˋ ㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhèngyì
    • Wade–Giles: chêng⁴-i⁴
    • Yale: jèng-yì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jenqyih
    • Palladius: чжэнъи (čžɛnʺi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zing³ ji⁶
    • Yale: jing yih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzing³ ji⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: jing³ yi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɪŋ³³ jiː²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chṳn-ngi
    • Hakka Romanization System: ziin ngi
    • Hagfa Pinyim: zin⁴ ngi⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sɨn⁵⁵ ŋi⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chèng-gī
    • Tâi-lô: tsìng-gī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zeanggi
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡi²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ɡi⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡi²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡi³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡi³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: zian³ ngi⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsiàⁿ ngĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩã²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ŋi³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵tsen-gni₆
    • MiniDict: tsen^去 nyi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²tsen-nyi₃
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sən³³ n̠ʲi⁴⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Hengyang)
    • Wiktionary: jin⁴ ni
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin³²⁴ n̠ʲi³/

Adjective

正義

1. righteous; just
2. (biology) positive sense

   現代生物學界常用巴爾的摩分類法，分病毒作七大類，其中第四類即正義單鏈RNA病毒。 [MSC, trad.]
   现代生物学界常用巴尔的摩分类法，分病毒作七大类，其中第四类即正义单链RNA病毒。 [MSC, simp.]

   Xiàndài shēngwù xuéjiè chángyòng Bā'ěrdìmó fēnlèifǎ, fēn bìngdú zuò qī dà lèi, qízhōng dìsì lèi jí zhèngyì dānliàn RNAbìngdú. [Pinyin]

   In modern biology, the Baltimore classification is widely accepted to classify viruses. Of the total seven categories, the fourth is positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus.

Noun

正義

1. justice; fairness

   代際正義／代际正义  ―  dàijì zhèngyì  ―  intergenerational justice

2. (literary) proper righteousness
   • c. 3rd century BCE, Xun Kuang, “Zhengming (Rectification of Names)”, in Xunzi:

     正利而為謂之事，正義而為謂之行。 [MSC, trad.]
     正利而为谓之事，正义而为谓之行。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhèng lì ér wéi wèi zhī shì, zhèngyì ér wéi wèi zhī xìng. [Pinyin]

     To act for proper benefit is called business; to act for proper righteousness is called conduct.

3. (literary) correct meaning
4. (chiefly in book titles) correct / rectified interpretation (of ancient texts)

   《五經正義》 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
   《五经正义》 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

   “Wǔjīng Zhèngyì” [Pinyin]

   Orthodox Interpretations of the Five Classics

5. (tarot) Justice

Derived terms

• 伸張正義 / 伸张正义
• 律呂正義 / 律吕正义
• 明公正義 / 明公正义
• 正義感 / 正义感 (zhèngyìgǎn)
• 社會正義 / 社会正义 (shèhuì zhèngyì)
• 轉型正義 / 转型正义 (zhuǎnxíng zhèngyì)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (正義):

• → Japanese: 正義(せいぎ) (seigi)
• → Korean: 정의(正義) (jeong'ui)
• → Vietnamese: chính nghĩa (正義)

See also

• 道德 (dàodé)
• 道義／道义 (dàoyì)
• 公德 (gōngdé)
• 公理 (gōnglǐ)
• 正理 (zhènglǐ)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
正	義
せい Grade: 1	ぎ Grade: 5
kan'on	on'yomi

Kanji in this term
正	義
ただ Grade: 1	よし Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Kanji in this term
正	義
まさ Grade: 1	よし Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 正義 (MC tsyeng|tsyengH ngjeH). Originally referred to the “correct meaning” or “orthodox interpretation” of classical Chinese texts (first attested in Japanese in the Kirei Mondō (貴嶺問答), 1185–1190), as well as “proper righteousness” (attested in the Gukanshō (愚管抄), 1220).

During the Meiji era, the term was repurposed to translate Western legal and philosophical concepts of “justice” (such as English justice, French justice, or German Gerechtigkeit).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [se̞ːɡʲi]
• (Tokyo) せーぎ [séꜜègì] (Atamadaka – [1])

• IPA^(key): [se̞iɡʲi]
• (Tokyo) せいぎ [séꜜìgì] (Atamadaka – [1]) conservative

• • Homophones: 正議, 声妓, 性技, 清議, 盛儀, 晴儀, 精義

Noun

正(せい)義(ぎ) • (seigi) 

1. justice
   • 2016 January 22, “ギデオンの誓(ちか)い [Oath of Gideon]”, in ゲートウォッチの誓い [Oath of the Gatewatch], Wizards of the Coast:

     正(せい)義(ぎ)と平(へい)和(わ)のため、私(わたし)はゲートウォッチとなる。

     Seigi to heiwa no tame, watashi wa Gētowotchi to naru.

     For justice and peace, I will be one of the Gatewatch.

   • 2003 July 17, “ギガ・ガガギゴ [Giga Gagagigo]”, in 暗黒の侵略者 [Invader of Darkness], Konami:

     強(きょう)大(だい)な悪(あく)に立(た)ち向(む)かうため、様(さま)々(ざま)な肉(にく)体(たい)改(かい)造(ぞう)をほどこした結(けっ)果(か)恐(おそ)るべきパワーを手(て)に入(い)れたが、その代(だい)償(しょう)として正(せい)義(ぎ)の心(こころ)を失(うしな)ってしまった。

     Kyōdai na aku ni tachimukau tame, samazama na nikutai kaizō o hodokoshita kekka osorubeki pawā o te ni ireta ga, sono daishō toshite seigi no kokoro o ushinatte shimatta.

     In order to fight tremendous evil, he had to get his hands on formidable power from a great deal of body reconstruction, at the cost of his righteous heart.

2. (philosophy) justice (specifically, the Platonic concept of parts of a state fulfilling their proper roles (translating Ancient Greek δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosúnē)), or the Aristotelian concept of fairness and legality)
3. (tarot) Justice

   Hypernym: タロット (“tarot”)

4. correct meaning; correct explanation (usually in titles of annotated editions of Confucian classics)
   • 1185–1190, “Leap 10th month, 3rd day”, in Kirei Mondō:

     省彼迂説取此正義(かのうせつをはぶきこのせいぎをとる)

     kano usetsu o habuki kono seigi o toru

     Omit those roundabout theories and adopt this correct meaning.

5. (historical) proper righteousness
   • 1220, “Book 6, Tsuchimikado”, in Gukanshō:

     わが御心(おみこころ)には是(これ)を正義(せいぎ)とのみ思召(おもしめし)けるなるべし。

     Waga omikokoro ni wa kore o seigi to nomi omoshimeshi keru naru beshi.

     In his imperial heart, he must have thought of this as nothing but proper righteousness.

Usage notes

• While 正義 (seigi) typically refers to “justice” in the sense of moral rightness or righteousness, 公正 (kōsei) and 公平 (kōhei) are used to describe “justice” in the sense of impartial fairness or equity.

Synonyms

• (fairness; impartiality): 公正 (kōsei), 公平 (kōhei)

Etymology 2

Native Japanese name reading.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ma̠sa̠jo̞ɕi]
• (Tokyo) まさよし [màsáꜜyòshì] (Nakadaka – [2]) conservative
• (Tokyo) まさよし [màsáyóshí] (Heiban – [0]) flattened

Proper noun

正(まさ)義(よし) • (Masayoshi) 

1. a male given name

Etymology 3

Native Japanese name reading.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ta̠da̠jo̞ɕi]
• (Tokyo) ただよし [tàdáꜜyòshì] (Nakadaka – [2]) conservative
• (Tokyo) ただよし [tàdáyóshí] (Heiban – [0]) flattened

Proper noun

正(ただ)義(よし) • (Tadayoshi) 

1. a male given name

References

• “正義”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
正	義

Noun

正義 • (jeong'ui) (hangeul 정의)

1. hanja form^? of 정의 (“justice”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
正	義

Noun

正義

1. chữ Hán form of chính nghĩa (“justice”)