() — (bound morpheme) to arrest, to detain; (bound morpheme) to restrain, to restrict; (bound morpheme) constrained, stiff (of personality or style)

Definition

A bound morpheme that only appears inside compound words: 拘留/拘捕 (arrest, detain) for the legal sense, and 拘束/拘谨 (stiff, ill-at-ease) for personality or style. By itself it is not used as a standalone verb or adjective.

bound form
(bound morpheme) to arrestto detain(bound morpheme) to restrainto restrict(bound morpheme) constrainedstiff (of personality or style)

Examples

  • Jǐng chá jū bǔ le yí gè wéi fǎ fēn zǐ.
    The police arrested a lawbreaker.
  • Zài zhè zhǒng zhèng shì chǎng hé tā xiǎn de hěn jū jǐn.
    He seems very stiff and ill-at-ease in this formal setting.
  • Nà ge guī dìng jū shù le dà jiā de xíng wéi.
    That regulation restricted everyone's behavior.

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