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正襟危坐

zhèng jīn wēi zuòdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to sit upright and still (idiom)
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-d476265d5ad762f5. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

正襟危坐 正襟危坐 [zheng4 jin1 wei1 zuo4] /to sit upright and still (idiom)/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 正
    zhēng

    first month of the lunar year

    zhèng

    straight / upright / proper / main / principal / to correct / to rectify / exactly / just (at that time) / right (in that place) / (math.) positive

  • 襟
    jīn

    lapel / overlap of Chinese gown / fig. bosom (the seat of emotions) / to cherish (ambition, desires, honorable intentions etc) in one's bosom

  • 危
    wēi

    danger / to endanger / Taiwan pr. [wéi]

    Wēi

    surname Wei

  • 坐
    zuò

    to sit / to take a seat / to take (a bus, airplane etc) / to bear fruit

    Zuò

    surname Zuo

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.