拖住 (tuō zhù) — to hold in place by dragging or pulling (physically); to detain, to hinder, to delay (figuratively)

Definition

A separable verb (离合词) meaning to hold something back by pulling or weighing it down — literally for physical grasping, figuratively for delaying or detaining (a person, meeting). Insert 得住/不了 for 'can/can't manage to hold back'.

verb
to hold in place by dragging or pulling (physically)to detainto hinderto delay (figuratively)

Examples

  • 拖住，。
    Tā yòng lì tuō zhù shéng zi, bú ràng chuán dòng.
    He pulled the rope hard to keep the boat from moving.
  • 拖住。
    Huì yì tuō zhù le wǒ yí gè xiǎo shí.
    The meeting held me up for an hour.
  • ，拖住。
    Bié ràng tā zǒu, kuài tuō zhù tā.
    Don't let him leave, quickly detain him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

拖tuōdrag
住zhùhold

拖 drag + 住 hold gives holding by dragging.

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā拖tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Open 拖 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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