义 (yì) - righteousness, justice, morality & meaning, significance

义Tone 4

yì ｜ 3 strokes ｜ radical: 丶

一懿

义 · yì

righteousness, justice, morality;

meaning, significance;

adopted, artificial;

volunteer, charitable

righteousness, justice, moralitymeaning, significanceadopted, artificial

Usage highlights

justicerighteousnessmeaningvolunteercharity salerighteous act

Synonyms

  • 正义— justice, righteousness
  • 道义— morality and justice
  • 仁义— benevolence and righteousness

Antonyms

  • 利— profit, benefit (contrasting with moral righteousness)
  • 私— selfish, private (opposite of righteous/public spirit)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He acted with great righteousness (义举).
  • The meaning of this word is clear (词义).
  • She works as a volunteer (义工).
  • This is a charitable organization (义卖).

Collocations

  • justice(正义)
  • righteousness(道义)
  • meaning(意义)
  • volunteer(义工)
  • charity sale(义卖)
  • righteous act(义举)

Idioms

  • Sense of duty and honor(义不容辞)
  • Righteous indignation(义愤填膺)
  • Forget personal enmity for the public good(深明大义)
  • Uphold justice(仗义执言)
  • Righteous and stern(义正词严)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the core Confucian virtues, representing moral righteousness and proper conduct.
  • Traditionally associated with loyalty, justice, and moral obligation in Chinese ethics.
  • In modern usage, extends to concepts of volunteerism and charitable activities.

FAQ