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招架 (zhāo jià) — to parry, to fend off (in combat, arguments); to withstand, to cope with (pressure, difficulties, criticism)

Definition

Literally 'parry/ward off blows', 招架 is also used figuratively for struggling to withstand pressure, criticism, or difficulties — often with 不住 in the negative.

verb
to parryto fend off (in combat, arguments)to withstandto cope with (pressure, difficulties, criticism)

Examples

  • 招架。
    Tā yòng shǒu bì zhāo jià zhù le duì fāng de gōng jī.
    He parried the opponent's attack with his forearm.
  • ，。
    Jì zhě de wèn tí tài duō, tā zhāo jià bú zhù le.
    There were too many questions from the reporters; he couldn't cope.
  • ，招架。
    Miàn duì zhè xiē kùn nan de jú miàn, tā réng rán néng gòu zhāo jià.
    Faced with these difficult situations, he could still withstand them.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

招zhāoblock or parry
架jiàblock or parry

招 and 架 both mean block or parry, together describing fending off blows or coping with pressure.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
召
召zhào招zhāo
Same sound today

招 pairs 扌, the hand part, with 召, which gives the sound, to show beckoning with the hand.

Open 招 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
加
加jiā架jià
Same sound today

架 shows 木, meaning wood, with 加 giving the sound; it refers to a wooden prop.

Open 架 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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