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铁拳 (Tiě quán) — (literal) iron fist (as a weapon or striking tool); (figurative) harsh repressive power; strong-arm tactics

Definition

Literally 'iron fist' — used both for a literal striking force and, more often in modern Chinese, for harsh, repressive crackdowns. In the political/figurative sense, it pairs with 打击 or 镇压 to describe strong-arm state power.

noun
(literal) iron fist (as a weapon or striking tool)(figurative) harsh repressive powerstrong-arm tactics

Examples

  • 铁拳。
    Tā yòng yí jì Tiě quán jī dǎo le duì shǒu.
    He knocked down his opponent with an iron fist.
  • 铁拳，。
    Zhèng fǔ yǐ Tiě quán dǎ jī fàn zuì, huò dé le mín zhòng zhī chí.
    The government cracked down on crime with an iron fist and gained public support.
  • 铁拳。
    Zhè chǎng gé mìng zuì zhōng bèi Tiě quán zhèn yā le.
    This revolution was ultimately suppressed by the iron fist.

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
拳quánfist

铁 describes the hardness of 拳, giving an iron fist.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
龹
龹龹拳quán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拳 pairs 手 (hand) with 龹 for sound. The hand part shows that the meaning is a form of hand, such as a fist.

Open 拳 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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