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坚持 (jiān chí) — to persist in; to insist on; to persevere with

Definition

坚持 emphasizes the EFFORT of sticking with something (a habit, plan, opinion) over time. 执意 is more about stubbornly insisting on a single decision or action.

verb
to persist into insist onto persevere with

Examples

  • 坚持。
    Wǒ jiān chí měi tiān kàn shū.
    I persist in reading every day.
  • 坚持。
    Tā jiān chí pǎo bù.
    He insists on running.
  • 坚持。
    jiān chí Jiù shì shèng lì.
    Perseverance is victory.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

坚jiānfirm
持chíhold

坚 means firm and 持 means hold; together they express persisting.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 堅; 坚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
臤
臤qiān堅jiān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 堅 pairs 臤, giving the sound, with 土, earth, giving the sense; the simplified 坚 is a later shorthand.

Open 坚 →

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì持chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 持 →
Appears in
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