坚定

jiān dìng

firm; staunch; steadfast

HSK Level 5

Example Sentences

Synonyms

坚决 (juéjiān)

resolute

牢固 (láogù)

firm

Antonyms

动摇 (dòngyáo)

shake

犹豫 (yóuyù)

hesitate

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 坚定 (jiàndìng) means "firm", "steadfast", or "resolute". It is composed of two characters: 坚 (jiān), which means "hard" or "strong", and 定 (dìng), which means "to fix" or "to determine". Together, these two characters convey the idea of something that is firmly fixed or established, hence the meaning of "firm" or "steadfast".The character 坚 (jiān) is composed of two parts: 石 (shí), which means "stone", and 斤 (jīn), which is a unit of weight. The combination of these two characters suggests something that is as hard and heavy as a stone, hence the meaning of "hard" or "strong".The character 定 (dìng) is composed of two parts: 止 (zhǐ), which means "to stop" or "to cease", and 心 (xīn), which means "heart" or "mind". The combination of these two characters suggests something that has come to a stop or has been fixed in the mind, hence the meaning of "to fix" or "to determine".When these two characters are combined to form 坚定 (jiàndìng), the meaning becomes "firm", "steadfast", or "resolute". This word is often used to describe someone who is strong-willed and determined, or something that is firmly established or fixed.

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