韧 (rèn) — tough but pliable, resilient (as a morpheme in compound words)
Definition
韧 is a bound morpheme meaning 'tough and pliable' — almost always used inside compounds like 韧性 or 坚韧, not on its own.
bound form
tough but pliableresilient (as a morpheme in compound words)
Examples
- ，。Zhè zhǒng cái liào de rèn xìng hěn hǎo, bù róng yì duàn liè.This material has good toughness and is not easy to break.
- ，。Tā xìng gé jiān rèn, yù dào kùn nan cóng bú fàng qì.His character is tenacious; he never gives up when facing difficulties.
- 。Zhú zi de xiān wéi jì róu ruǎn yòu róu rèn.Bamboo fibers are both soft and tough.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 韌; 韧 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
韋韋wéi
The traditional form 韌 combines 韋, a meaning part, with 刃, a sound part; the simplified 韧 is a later shorthand.
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