The Kanji: 是 (Ze / Kore)
The kanji 是 means "right," "correct," or "to affirm." It combines 日 (sun) with 正 (correct), originally depicting the sun as the ultimate standard of truth. This character represents correctness and affirmative judgment.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 是非 (zehi) - Certainly
是非ご参加ください。
"Please do participate."
2. 是正 (zesei) - Correction
誤りを是正する。
"Correct errors."
3. 是が非でも (ze ga hi demo) - At any cost
是が非でも成功させる。
"Succeed at any cost."
4. 国是 (kokuze) - National policy
平和主義を国是とする。
"Adopt pacifism as national policy."
In summary, 是 describes correctness and affirmation - from strong recommendations (是非) and error correction (是正) to determined efforts (是が非でも) and national principles (国是). It embodies the concept of rightness in Japanese.