持证 (chí zhèng) — to hold a certificate or license; to be licensed or certified

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to hold a certificate/license', used in professional and regulatory contexts (e.g. 持证上岗 — to work while licensed). Almost never used in casual speech.

verb
to hold a certificate or licenseto be licensed or certified

Examples

  • 持证。
    Zhè ge háng yè yāo qiú suǒ yǒu yuán gōng chí zhèng shàng gǎng.
    This industry requires all employees to work with a license.
  • 持证，。
    Tā shì yì míng chí zhèng lǜ shī, jīng yàn fēng fù.
    He is a licensed lawyer with extensive experience.
  • 持证。
    Shēn qǐng zhè ge gāo jí zhí wèi bì xū chí zhèng.
    To apply for this senior position, you must hold a certificate.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

持chíhold
证zhèngcertificate

持 means to hold and 证 means a certificate; together they mean holding a certificate or license.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →

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