持 (chí) — to hold; to grasp; to maintain; to persevere; to manage; to run
Definition
持 (chí) is a formal, written verb meaning 'to hold/maintain' (shares, attitude, position) — contrast with 握, the physical 'grasp', and 保持/维持, which focus on keeping a state. Rare alone in speech; usually appears in compounds.
verb
to holdto graspto maintainto persevereto manageto run
Examples
- 持。Tā shuāng shǒu chí zhe yí gè huā píng.She is holding a vase with both hands.
- 持。Tā chí jǐn shèn tài dù gǎi jìn chǎn pǐn zhì liàng.He holds a cautious attitude in improving product quality.
- 持。Tā chí zhè jiā gōng sī bǎi fēn zhī sān shí de gǔ fèn.He holds thirty percent of the shares in this company.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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