TongTong
Sign in

下定决心 (xià dìng jué xīn) — to make a firm decision; to be determined

Definition

A chengyu-style verb phrase meaning 'to make a firm decision / be resolved'. Stronger than 决定 alone — emphasizes commitment and determination, not just the act of deciding.

verb
to make a firm decisionto be determined

Examples

  • 下定决心。
    Wǒ xià dìng jué xīn yào xué hǎo zhōng wén.
    I am determined to learn Chinese well.
  • 。
    Tā zhōng yú xià dìng le jué xīn cí zhí.
    He finally made the firm decision to quit his job.
  • 下定决心，。
    xià dìng jué xīn Zhī hòu, jiù yào jiān chí dào dǐ.
    After making a firm decision, you must stick to it to the end.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →
Appears in
Will & Intention

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.