有种 (yǒu zhǒng) — (colloquial) to have guts; to be brave; daring

Definition

Colloquial, admiring 'gutsy / daring' — a spoken compliment for courage in a challenge, not a neutral description of bravery.

(colloquial) to have gutsto be bravedaring

Examples

有种，。
Tā zhēn yǒu zhǒng, gǎn gēn lǎo bǎn dǐng zuǐ.
He really has guts to talk back to the boss.
有种！
yǒu zhǒng Nǐ jiù shì shì kàn!
If you have guts, go ahead and try!
，有种！
Zhè me wēi xiǎn de shì tā dōu gǎn zuò, zhēn yǒu zhǒng!
He dares to do such dangerous things — he really has guts!

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave

种zhǒngkind

有 means have and 种 means kind or guts, colloquially having the nerve to act.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

又

又yòu有yǒu

Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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

禾中种

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hérice

Sound part声符shēngfú

中

中zhōng种zhǒng

Same sound today

种 pairs 禾, which shows rice or grain and fits meanings like plant and seed, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 种 →

Appears in