坚守 (jiān shǒu) — to firmly hold fast to; to stick to | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

坚守 is the firm, committed 'hold fast to' for abstract ideals — beliefs, posts, principles — stronger and more resolute than 保持. Compare 秉持 (uphold a stance) and 忠于 (loyal to a person or cause).

verb

to firmly hold fast toto stick to

Examples

坚守。
Tā yì zhí jiān shǒu zì jǐ de xìn niàn.
He has always adhered to his own beliefs.
坚守，。
Yī shēng men jiān shǒu gǎng wèi, quán lì jiù zhì bìng rén.
The doctors held fast to their posts, doing their best to treat patients.
，坚守。
Zài kùn nan miàn qián, wǒ men yào jiān shǒu chuán tǒng měi dé.
In the face of difficulties, we should uphold traditional virtues.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

坚 adds firmness to 守, meaning to guard or hold something firmly.

Characters in this word

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 堅; 坚 is its simplified writing.

臤土堅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

臤

臤qiān堅jiān

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 堅 pairs 臤, giving the sound, with 土, earth, giving the sense; the simplified 坚 is a later shorthand.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

宀寸守

宀宀miánroof; building
寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Will & Intention

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