钉子户 (dīng zi hù) — household that refuses to relocate during urban development (holdout); stubborn dissenter or holdout in any situation

Definition

Literally 'nail household' — a holdout who refuses to move or back down under pressure. The first sense is the literal urban-development holdout; the second extends the metaphor to any stubborn dissenter.

noun
household that refuses to relocate during urban development (holdout)stubborn dissenter or holdout in any situation

Examples

  • 钉子户，。
    Zhè ge dīng zi hù jiān chí bù bān, kāi fā shāng zhǐ hǎo xiū gǎi guī huà.
    This holdout household refused to move, so the developer had to revise the plan.
  • ，钉子户，。
    Zài huì yì shàng, tā chéng le dīng zi hù, fǎn duì suǒ yǒu rén de tí yì.
    At the meeting, he became a holdout, opposing everyone's proposals.
  • 钉子户，。
    Zhèng fǔ yǔ dīng zi hù tán pàn le bàn nián, zhōng yú dá chéng xié yì.
    The government negotiated with the holdout household for half a year and finally reached an agreement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

钉子nail
钉dīngnail子zǐ
户hùhousehold

钉子, nail, and 户, household, suggest a household that sticks like a nail.

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 釘; 钉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng釘dīng
Same sound today

The traditional 釘 pairs 金 (metal) with 丁 for sound; some theorize 丁 originally meant “nail,” so 釘 was created to write that word with metal added. The simplified 钉 is a shorthand.

Open 钉 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戶; 户 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 戶 is a picture of half of a gate. The simplified 户 is a later shorthand, so its shape should not be read as the original parts.

Open 户 →

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