拉锯 (lā jù) — tug-of-war fight, seesaw battle (where neither side makes decisive progress); prolonged back-and-forth process (negotiations, struggles)

Definition

A 离合词 (separable verb): 拉锯 itself means 'to saw' literally, but figuratively it describes a prolonged back-and-forth struggle or seesaw battle where neither side wins decisively. Insert other elements (e.g. 拉了…锯, 拉过锯) for aspect or duration.

verb
tug-of-war fightseesaw battle (where neither side makes decisive progress)prolonged back-and-forth process (negotiations, struggles)

Examples

  • 拉锯。
    Shuāng fāng de bǐ sài jìn rù le lā jù zhuàng tài.
    The match between the two sides entered a seesaw battle.
  • 。
    Zhè chǎng tán pàn yǐ jīng lā le hǎo jiǔ de jù.
    This negotiation has been going back and forth for a long time.
  • 拉锯。
    Dí wǒ shuāng fāng zài nà lǐ lā jù le hǎo jǐ gè yuè.
    The enemy and our side were locked in a seesaw battle there for months.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

拉lāpull
锯jùsaw

Pulling a saw back and forth gives the sense of a seesaw struggle where neither side wins.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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 鋸; 锯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
居
居jū鋸jù
Same sound today

The traditional form 鋸 pairs 金 (metal) with 居 as a sound component. The simplified 锯 is an abbreviated form of 鋸.

Open 锯 →

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