TongTong
Sign in

支撑 (zhī chēng) — to support (physically, by bearing weight); to sustain, to maintain (figuratively, e.g., a family, an organization, one's spirits)

Definition

支撑 covers both literal load-bearing (pillars, structures) and figurative sustaining (a family, spirits, motivation). Compare with 撑, which leans physical and can mean holding something open; 承载 is more formal and emphasizes carrying a load.

verb
to support (physically, by bearing weight)to sustainto maintain (figuratively, e.g., a family, an organization, one's spirits)

Examples

  • 支撑。
    Sì gēn zhù zi zhī chēng zhe zhè zuò gǔ lǎo de jiàn zhù.
    Four pillars support this ancient building.
  • 支撑。
    Zhěng gè jiā tíng quán kào tā yí gè rén zhī chēng.
    The entire family depends entirely on him for support.
  • ，支撑。
    Zài kùn nan shí qī, jiā rén de gǔ lì zhī chēng zhe tā zǒu xià qù.
    During hard times, her family's encouragement sustained her to keep going.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

支zhīprop
撑chēngprop up

支 and 撑 both mean propping or sustaining, so together they mean to support.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

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 撐; 撑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
牚
牚chēng撐chēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 撐 pairs 手 (hand) with 牚, which gives the sound; the simplified 撑 is a shorthand.

Open 撑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.