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硬碰硬 (yìng pèng yìng) — to meet force with force; to engage in a head-on confrontation with an equally strong opponent; demanding, exacting, tough (of a task or requirement); 100% genuine, solid, no compromise (of quality or character)

Definition

A vivid chengyu meaning 'meet force with force' — a head-on clash between equals. Also stretches to describe a very demanding task or something 100% genuine and uncompromising in quality.

idiom
to meet force with forceto engage in a head-on confrontation with an equally strong opponentdemandingexactingtough (of a task or requirement)100% genuinesolidno compromise (of quality or character)

Examples

  • 硬碰硬，。
    Zhè chǎng bǐ sài shuāng fāng yìng pèng yìng, shuí yě bú ràng shuí.
    In this match, both sides met force with force, neither one giving in.
  • 硬碰硬，。
    Gǎo kē yán shì gè yìng pèng yìng de gōng zuò, xū yào hěn dà de nài xīn hé yì lì.
    Doing scientific research is a demanding job that requires great patience and perseverance.
  • 硬碰硬，。
    Zhè xiē cái liào dōu shì yìng pèng yìng de zhēn huò, nǐ fàng yì bǎi gè xīn.
    These materials are 100% genuine goods; you can rest assured.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

硬yìnghardness
碰硬hits hardness
碰pènghit硬yìnghardness
动宾Verb + object

硬 (hardness) meets 硬 (hardness) through 碰, giving a head-on clash.

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng硬yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.

Open 硬 →

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
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
並
並bìng碰pèng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

碰 is built from 石 (rock) and 並 (bìng); 石 shows the meaning, and 並 shows the sound.

Open 碰 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng硬yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.

Open 硬 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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