征

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journey; trip; expedition; to go on long campaign; to attack

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

彳 meaning “step” + 正 sound ( zhèng )

Components 彳正

solicit · Heisig RSH #1993

queue + 正 correct

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
无征不信	wú zhēng bù xìn	without proof one can't believe it (idiom)
有征无战	yǒu zhēng wú zhàn	to win without a fight (idiom)
生命体征	shēng mìng tǐ zhēng	vital signs
特征联合	tè zhēng lián hé	characteristic binding
南征北战	nán zhēng běi zhàn	war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
文征明	Wén Zhēng míng	Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Ming painter, one of Four great southern talents of the Ming 江南…
十字军东征	Shí zì jūn Dōng zhēng	the Crusades
起征点	qǐ zhēng diǎn	tax threshold
征人	zhēng rén	traveler (on a long journey); participant in an expedition; garrison soldier; new recruit
征地	zhēng dì	to requisition land
征马	zhēng mǎ	horse capable of long expedition; army horse
性征	xìng zhēng	sexual characteristic
特征向量	tè zhēng xiàng liàng	(math.) eigenvector
体征	tǐ zhēng	(medical) sign; physical sign
西征	xī zhēng	punitive expedition to the west
征发	zhēng fā	a punitive expedition; a requisition
象征主义	xiàng zhēng zhǔ yì	symbolism
长征	Cháng zhēng	Long March (retreat of the Red Army 1934-1935)
长征	cháng zhēng	expedition; long journey
力征	lì zhēng	by force; to conquer by force of arms; power

Characters sharing the sound component 正 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
正 sound part	zhèng	straight, right, proper, correct, just, true
政	zhèng	government, politics
症	zhèng	ailment, disease, illness
整	zhěng	neat, orderly, whole; to repair, to mend
怔	zhēng	frightened, startled, terrified
罡	gāng	the stars at the end of the Big Dipper
徵	zhǐ	to summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journey; invasion
钲	zhēng	an army's marching gong