死硬 (sǐ yìng) — very obstinate; die-hard; inflexible

Definition

死硬 means extremely stubborn or die-hard — stronger and more negative than 顽固, often used to criticize someone who refuses all persuasion.

verb

very obstinatedie-hardinflexible

死硬，。
Tā shì yí gè sǐ yìng de rén, cóng lái bù kěn gǎi biàn zì jǐ de yì jiàn.
He is a die-hard person who never changes his opinions.
死硬，。
Zhè wèi lǎo xiān sheng de lì chǎng fēi cháng sǐ yìng, shuí quàn dōu méi yòng.
This old gentleman's stance is extremely stubborn; no one's advice works.
，死硬，。
Zài tán pàn zhōng, nǐ de tài dù bù néng tài sǐ yìng, fǒu zé hěn nán dá chéng xié yì.
In negotiations, your attitude cannot be too inflexible, otherwise it's hard to reach an agreement.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

死sǐunyielding

死 and 硬 both describe unyielding firmness, together making 'die-hard'.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

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

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

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

石更硬

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

更

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.