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将就 (jiāng jiu) — to make do with, to put up with (somewhat reluctantly)

Definition

将就 means to accept something less than ideal 'just for now' — unlike 凑合 (improvise with what's on hand) or 容忍 (tolerate a person/behavior), it emphasizes reluctant personal acceptance, not patching things together or putting up with others.

verb
to make do withto put up with (somewhat reluctantly)

Examples

  • ，将就。
    Tiáo jiàn suī rán chà, dàn wǒ men zhǐ néng jiāng jiu yí xià le.
    The conditions are poor, but we'll just have to make do for now.
  • ，将就。
    Méi yǒu hé kǒu de cài, nǐ jiù jiāng jiu chī diǎn r ba.
    There's no dish you really like, so just make do with what there is.
  • ，将就。
    Zhè ge shǒu jī suī rán jiù, dàn zàn shí hái néng jiāng jiu yòng.
    This phone is old, but it'll still do for now.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

将jiāngmake do
就jiùaccommodate

将就 pairs 将 (make do) and 就 (accommodate) to mean accept things as they are.

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An older form paired 享, a temple, with 京, a tower, showing sacrifice at a high place; in 就 the temple part was dropped and a right part for going upward was added.

Open 就 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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