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铁人 (tiě rén) — an iron-willed person; someone with exceptional physical or moral strength; (short for 铁人三项) Ironman triathlon

Definition

Literally 'iron person' — someone with extraordinary willpower and endurance, never giving up. Also short for 铁人三项, the Ironman triathlon (swim + bike + run).

noun
an iron-willed personsomeone with exceptional physical or moral strength(short for 铁人三项) Ironman triathlon
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 铁人，。
    Tā zhēn shì yí gè tiě rén, zài kùn nan miàn qián cóng bù dī tóu.
    He is truly an iron man, never bowing his head in the face of hardship.
  • 铁人，、。
    Tā cān jiā le tiě rén sān xiàng bǐ sài, xū yào lián xù yóu yǒng, qí chē hé pǎo bù.
    He took part in an Ironman triathlon, which requires consecutive swimming, cycling, and running.
  • ‘铁人’，。
    Wáng jìn xǐ bèi chēng wéi 'tiě rén', tā de jīng shén jī lì le wú shù rén.
    Wang Jinxi is called the 'Iron Man', and his spirit has inspired countless people.

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.

铁tiěiron
人rénperson

The hardness of 铁 gives 人 the sense of exceptional strength.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Personality & TraitsSports & Athletics

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