招架不住 (zhāo jià bú zhù) — cannot withstand, be no match for, be unable to… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A vivid colloquial phrase meaning 'unable to withstand, overwhelmed' — focused on being overmatched by an opponent's force or pressure. Pairs with 不住 (can't hold up against); 抵挡不住 is a more neutral written alternative.

verb

cannot withstandbe no match forbe unable to cope with

Examples

，招架不住。
Tā wèn de wèn tí tài duō, wǒ shí zài zhāo jià bú zhù le.
He asked too many questions; I really couldn't handle them.
，招架不住。
Duì fāng de gōng jī tài qiáng, wǒ men wán quán zhāo jià bú zhù.
The opponent's attack was too strong; we were completely overwhelmed.
，招架不住。
Tā suī rán nǔ lì, dàn zhāo jià bú zhù duì shǒu de jīng yàn hé jì qiǎo.
Although he tried hard, he was no match for his opponent's experience and skill.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

招架parry and block

招zhāoparry架jiàblock

联合Side by side

不住cannot hold

不bùnot住zhùhold

偏正Modifier + head

招架 parry and block + 不住 cannot hold means be no match.

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.

扌召招

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

召

召zhào招zhāo

Same sound today

招 pairs 扌, the hand part, with 召, which gives the sound, to show beckoning with the hand.

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

加木架

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree, wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

加

加jiā架jià

Same sound today

架 shows 木, meaning wood, with 加 giving the sound; it refers to a wooden prop.

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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.

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