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牵制 (qiān zhì) — to pin down, to tie up (enemy forces or a competitor); to restrict, to hold back (development, progress, etc.)

Definition

牵制 means to pin down or hold back an opponent so they can't act freely — usually in military or competitive contexts. Stronger and more strategic than 约束 ('restrict by rules') or 节制 ('restrain oneself'); 制止 means to stop an action outright.

verb
to pin downto tie up (enemy forces or a competitor)to restrictto hold back (development, progress, etc.)

Examples

  • 牵制。
    Wǒ men xiān yòng yì zhī xiǎo duì qiān zhì zhù duì fāng de zhǔ lì.
    We first use a small squad to pin down the enemy's main force.
  • 牵制。
    Jìng zhēng duì shǒu de jiàng jià cè lüè qiān zhì le wǒ men de xiāo shòu.
    The competitor's price-cutting strategy held back our sales.
  • 牵制。
    Zī jīn bù zú yán zhòng qiān zhì le xiàng mù de jìn zhǎn.
    The shortage of funds seriously restricted the project's progress.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

牵qiānpull
制zhìcontrol; restrain

牵 means pulling and 制 means controlling, together expressing holding something back.

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 牽; 牵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
牛牛niúcow, ox
Sound part声符shēngfú
玄
玄xuán牽qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 牽 is built from 玄 and 牛, an ox, giving the picture of leading an ox by hand. The simplified 牵 is a later shorthand.

Open 牵 →

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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