缠住 (chán zhù) — to entangle; to wrap tightly; to tie up

Definition

A resultative verb: 缠 means to wind around, and 住 marks the result — something is now held fast or stuck. Often used with 把/被 to show the entangling (literal, like vines, or figurative, like a problem).

verb
to entangleto wrap tightlyto tie up

Examples

  • 缠住。
    Tā yòng shéng zi bǎ xiāng zi chán zhù le.
    He tied up the box with a rope.
  • 缠住。
    Xiǎo shù bèi yě cǎo chán zhù le.
    The small tree was entangled by weeds.
  • 缠住。
    Zhè ge wèn tí bǎ wǒ chán zhù le.
    This problem has got me stumped.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

缠chánentangle
住zhùfirmly

缠 means to entangle and 住 adds the sense of holding firmly, giving wrap tightly.

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 纏; 缠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
廛
廛chán纏chán
Same sound today

The traditional form 纏 combines 糸 (silk) with 廛 as the sound part; the simplified 缠 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 缠 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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