直
zhí · HSK 3
straight
📏 十 (ten) + 目 (eye) + 乚 — ten eyes look straight at it
Old form shows an eye (目) with a vertical line above, meaning to look straight ahead. Modern 直 keeps that 'straight line of sight' sense: directly, upright, honest. Related to 值 (value) and 置 (to place).
直 — 十 ten + 目 eye + 乚 hidden line
Originally depicted an eye (目) looking straight along a vertical line, suggesting a direct, unswerving gaze. The form combines 目 'eye' with strokes indicating straightness. From this came the meanings 'straight,' 'upright,' and by extension 'honest' or 'direct.'