Meaning
整 primarily means 'whole' or 'complete' when describing something intact or unified. As a verb, it means to arrange, fix, or organize things into order. It's extremely common in everyday speech and appears in many compound words related to completeness and organization.
Usage
As an adjective, 整 typically appears before nouns (整天 'whole day', 整个 'entire'). As a verb, it's very colloquial and versatile, often meaning 'to deal with', 'to work on', or 'to fix up' something. In casual speech, 整 can even mean 'to do' or 'to make' in a general sense. The tone can range from neutral organization to somewhat aggressive handling depending on context.
Examples
- 01我整天都在工作。.I've been working all day long.
- 02你能帮我整一下这些文件吗？?Can you help me organize these documents?
Common collocations
- 整天all day long
- 整个entire, whole
- 整理房间to tidy up the room
- 整点on the hour, exactly o'clock
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 束 (bundle) and 正 (upright/correct), originally conveying the idea of making something orderly and complete.