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逞强 (chěng qiáng) — to show off by pretending to be braver or stronger than one actually is; to overdo bravado

Definition

逞强 (chěngqiáng) specifically means 'act tougher/braver than you really are' to keep face. Unlike 表现 ('show off' a quality or skill) or 耍 ('show off' a skill or attitude), 逞强 is about faked courage or strength and often backfires.

verb
to show off by pretending to be braver or stronger than one actually isto overdo bravado

Examples

  • 逞强，。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zài bié rén miàn qián chěng qiáng, jié guǒ cháng cháng chū chǒu.
    He always likes to show off in front of others and often ends up embarrassing himself.
  • 逞强，。
    Bié chěng qiáng le, nǐ yí gè rén bān bú dòng zhè me duō dōng xī.
    Stop trying to be a hero — you can't carry so many things alone.
  • ，逞强。
    Tā suī rán hěn lèi, dàn hái shì zài dà jiā miàn qián chěng qiáng.
    Even though he was very tired, he still put on a brave front in front of everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

逞chěngshow off
强qiángstrength

逞强 joins 逞, show off, and 强, strength, to mean overdoing bravado.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng逞chěng
Same sound today

逞 combines 辶, a walking mark, with 呈, which gives the sound.

Open 逞 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

Open 强 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Personality & Traits

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