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忍痛 (rěn tòng) — to do something reluctantly despite pain or difficulty; to bear pain with dignity

Definition

A set phrase meaning to grit one's teeth and do something painful or costly — 'reluctantly', out of duty or necessity. Often pairs with a hard sacrifice (selling, giving up, persisting).

verb
to do something reluctantly despite pain or difficultyto bear pain with dignity

Examples

  • 忍痛。
    Tā rěn tòng jiān chí wán chéng le bǐ sài.
    He endured the pain and persisted to finish the competition.
  • 忍痛。
    Tā rěn tòng mài diào le zì jǐ de fáng zi.
    She reluctantly sold her own house.
  • ，。
    Tā rěn le tòng, hái shì jué dìng lí kāi.
    She endured the pain and still decided to leave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

忍rěnbear
痛tòngpain

To 忍 bear 痛 pain, hence act reluctantly despite suffering.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIllness & Symptoms

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