Chinese character for righteousness: 义 (yì)
The Chinese character for righteousness is 义 (yì). It means doing what is right, justice and loyalty to principles, and appears in 正义 (zhèngyì, justice) and 义气 (yìqi, loyalty among friends). It is one of the five Confucian virtues.
How 义 is built
The traditional form 義 has 羊 (yáng, sheep) on top of 我 (wǒ), which was originally a weapon and now means 'I'. As a memory aid, the sheep stands for goodness and 我 for the self: putting goodness above yourself is righteousness. The simplified form 义 is a much shorter shape with only three strokes and does not show those parts. Both are read yì.
义 yì · right conduct
- 丶 — dot
- 乂yì — crossed strokes
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: ⺷ gives the meaning, 乂 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 义 is used
Other ways to say righteousness
- 正义 zhèngyì — justice as a concept
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: Many tattoo seekers choose the traditional 義 for its richer shape; the simplified 义 is very short and can look like a mark rather than a word.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for righteousness?
义 (yì) means “righteousness”. In traditional characters it is written 義.
How do you pronounce 义?
义 is pronounced yì.
Is 义 simplified or traditional?
义 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore; 義 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.