直 means “straight, fix”

なおす · naosu

Also: straightaway, honesty, frankness

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ただちに, なおす, なおる, なおき, すぐ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

チョク, ジキ, ジカ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 2 · 8 strokes

The story

Ten (十) eyes (目) sighting along a straight edge, the L-shaped stroke at the left and bottom: picture a carpenter checking that a beam runs true. 直 is straight and set right: 直す is to fix, 正直 is honest, and 直接 is going straight to the source.

Used in 直す (naosu, to fix), 正直 (shoujiki, honest), and 直接 (chokusetsu, direct)

Words with 直

• 正直 (しょうじき, shoujiki): honest / frank
• 直線 (ちょくせん, chokusen): straight line

More from Cause & Reason

• 果 fruit
• 必 certain
• 無 nothing
• 常 usual
• 由 reason
• 例 example
• 然 so
• 限 limit
• 非 not
• 完 complete
• 因 cause
• 当 hit

Learn 直 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.