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硬 (yìng) — (adjective) hard, stiff, solid (physically); (adjective) firm, tough, strong (of attitude, character, or quality); (adverb) resolutely, stubbornly; with difficulty, barely

Definition

硬 covers both senses: physically hard (石头很硬) and firm/unyielding (态度很硬). As an adverb (硬要) it's like 毅然 — resolute or stubbornly — but more colloquial. 比 僵硬 (rigid, body-stiff) and 生硬 (blunt, unnatural style) narrower in scope.

adjective
hardstiffsolid (physically)firmtoughstrong (of attitude, character, or quality)
adverb
resolutelystubbornlywith difficultybarely
Easily confused

Examples

  • 硬，。
    Zhè kuài shí tou hěn yìng, zá bù kāi.
    This rock is very hard; you can't break it open.
  • 硬，。
    Tā de tài dù hěn yìng, bù kěn ràng bù.
    His attitude is very firm; he won't give in.
  • 硬，。
    Tā yìng yào yí gè rén qù lǚ xíng, shuí yě lán bú zhù.
    He insisted on traveling alone, and no one could stop him.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng硬yìng
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.

Appears in
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