铁定 (tiě dìng) — ironclad; unalterable; definite, certain

Definition

Colloquial adjective meaning 'ironclad, unalterable' — stronger and more vivid than 确定, with a sense of something that cannot be changed.

adjective
ironcladunalterabledefinitecertain

Examples

  • 铁定。
    Zhè shì tiě dìng de shì shí.
    This is an ironclad fact.
  • 铁定。
    Wǒ men yǒu yí gè tiě dìng de jì huà.
    We have an unalterable plan.
  • 铁定。
    Tā tí chū le tiě dìng de zhèng cí.
    He presented ironclad testimony.

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
定dìngfixed

铁 gives the firmness of iron, and 定 gives certainty or fixedness.

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 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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