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挣脱 (zhèng tuō) — to break free (from physical restraint); to struggle out of; to shake off

Definition

挣脱 means to physically break free or struggle out of a restraint (ropes, cages, constraints) — more forceful and concrete than abstract 'freeing oneself.' Unlike 摆脱, it emphasizes the physical effort of breaking loose, not just getting away.

verb
to break free (from physical restraint)to struggle out ofto shake off

Examples

  • ，挣脱。
    Tā yòng lì yí zhèng, zhèng tuō le shéng zi.
    He pulled hard and broke free from the rope.
  • 挣脱，。
    Tā zhōng yú zhèng tuō le jiā tíng de shù fù, qù zhuī qiú zì jǐ de mèng xiǎng.
    She finally broke free from family constraints and pursued her dreams.
  • 挣脱，。
    Xiǎo niǎo zhèng tuō le lóng zi, fēi xiàng tiān kōng.
    The little bird broke free from the cage and flew into the sky.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

挣zhèngstruggle
脱tuōcome free

挣 means to struggle and 脱 means to come free; together they mean to break free from restraint.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掙; 挣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爭
爭zhēng掙zhèng
Same sound today

The traditional form 掙 combines 手 (hand) with 爭, which gives the sound; the simplified 挣 is a shorthand.

Open 挣 →

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 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì脫tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 脱 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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