整

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

敕 (조서 칙) — semantic component, originally meaning “command” or “discipline,” suggesting regulation and control.

正 (바를 정) — phonetic component, providing the sound jeong and the notion of correctness or alignment.

Thus, 整 depicts “to make right by disciplined correction”, symbolizing the act of bringing things into order and alignment with what is proper.

整頓 (정돈) — to organize; to tidy up

整理 (정리) — to arrange; to put in order

整修 (정수) — to repair; to renovate

整治 (정치) — to rectify; to regulate; to reform

整形 (정형) — to correct the form; plastic surgery

整數 (정수) — integer; whole number

整體 (정체) — the whole; entirety

整日 (정일) — the whole day; all day long

整齊 (정제) — neat; orderly; well-arranged

整備 (정비) — to maintain; to prepare; to overhaul

整風 (정풍) — to rectify style (esp. in moral or political sense)

In ancient Chinese administration, 整 described restoring order to governance, military ranks, or rituals.

Its earliest meaning was “to discipline or make upright”, not just tidying physical things but aligning moral or social structures.

「整軍以肅紀，修政以正民。」

“He ordered the army to restore discipline and reformed governance to correct the people” — Book of Han (漢書).

In Confucian philosophy, 整 embodies rectification (正) combined with discipline (敕) — the twofold action of making things right both inwardly and outwardly.

To “整己以修身” meant to regulate oneself in order to cultivate virtue.

In modern Chinese, 整 extends naturally to mean “complete” or “whole” — as something well-aligned and undisturbed is by definition entire, perfect, and precise.

整 symbolizes harmony through correction and alignment.

It reflects the universal principle that order and completeness arise from balance.

The act of 整 is not mere tidying — it is rectification with purpose, the restoration of proper form and rhythm.

It applies equally to material objects, thoughts, conduct, and society.

「整者，正也，修也。」

“To ‘整’ is to make right and to restore” — Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字).

Thus, 整 unites the moral and practical — to set in order is both a physical and spiritual act.

整 teaches that true order begins within.

To bring harmony to one’s surroundings, one must first align the heart.

「先整其心，而後整其事。」

“First put the heart in order, then affairs will follow.”

In everyday life, 整 reminds us that clarity, precision, and discipline are not rigidity but expressions of harmony.

To repair, to tidy, to make whole — these are acts of restoration that lead to peace.

Thus, 整 stands as a character of balance, completeness, and upright order — the art of setting all things, great and small, in their proper place.