屏住 (bǐng zhù) — to hold (one's breath), to stop (breathing) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Usually appears as 屏住呼吸/气 — a separable verb meaning to hold one's breath. Not used on its own outside this fixed phrase.

verb

to hold (one's breath)to stop (breathing)

Examples

屏住，。
Tā bǐng zhù le hū xī, tīng wài miàn de shēng yīn.
He held his breath and listened to the sounds outside.
屏住。
Wǒ men xū yào bǐng zhù yì kǒu qì cái néng wán chéng zhè ge dòng zuò.
We need to hold our breath to complete this movement.
，屏住。
Zài jǐn zhāng de bǐ sài zhōng, guān zhòng dōu bǐng zhù le hū xī.
During the tense competition, the audience held their breath.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

屏pínghold back

屏 means to hold back and 住 gives the sense of staying fixed, so the breath is held.

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.

尸并屏

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

并

并bìng屏bǐng

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

屏 pairs 尸 with 并, which supplies the sound.

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

亻主住

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

主

主zhǔ住zhù

Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Appears in

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