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持有 (chí yǒu) — to hold (a document, passport, license, etc.); to hold (a view, opinion, perspective, etc.)

Definition

Used formally to mean 'hold' or 'possess' (a document, opinion, or share) — more formal and official than everyday 有. Pairs with 护照, 执照, 股份, or abstract nouns like 观点.

verb
to hold (a document, passport, license, etc.)to hold (a view, opinion, perspective, etc.)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 持有。
    Tā chí yǒu bù tóng de zhèng zhì guān diǎn.
    He holds different political views.
  • 持有？
    Nǐ chí yǒu nǎ ge guó jiā de hù zhào?
    Which country's passport do you hold?
  • 持有。
    Tā chí yǒu gōng sī bǎi fēn zhī sān shí de gǔ fèn.
    He holds 30 percent of the company's shares.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

持chíhold
有yǒupossess

持有 combines hold and possess to mean hold a document or view.

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
寺
寺sì持chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 持 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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