hěn

ruthless; relentless; firm; resolute; suppress; harden

HSK Level 6

Example Sentences

他狠下心来,决定离开家乡。

tā hěn xià xīn lái, jué dìng lí kāi jiā xiāng.

He made up his mind and decided to leave his hometown.

她狠心地拒绝了他的求婚。

tā hěn xīn de jù jué le tā de qiú hūn.

She cruelly rejected his proposal.

这场比赛打得非常狠,双方都拼尽了全力。

zhè chǎng bǐ sài dǎ de fēi cháng hěn, shuāng fāng dōu pīn jìn le quán lì.

The game was played very fiercely, and both sides gave it their all.

Synonyms

Antonyms

仁慈 (rén cí)

benevolent

温柔 (wēn róu)

gentle

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 狠 (hěn) is composed of two parts: the radical 忄 (xīn), which represents the heart or mind, and the phonetic component 艮 (gěn). The radical 忄 indicates that 狠 is related to emotions or mental states, while the phonetic component 艮 suggests that it is pronounced similarly to the word "gěn".The original meaning of 狠 was "to be fierce or cruel". This meaning is still preserved in the modern usage of the character, as in the phrase 狠毒 (hěndú), which means "vicious" or "malicious". However, 狠 can also be used in a more general sense to mean "very" or "extremely", as in the phrase 狠厉害 (hěn lìhai), which means "very厉害".The character 狠 is often used in negative contexts, as it can imply a sense of ruthlessness or brutality. However, it can also be used in a positive sense, to describe someone who is determined or resolute. For example, the phrase 狠抓 (hěn zhuā) means "to grasp firmly" or "to seize tightly", and can be used to describe someone who is taking decisive action.Overall, the character 狠 is a versatile character with a range of meanings. It is important to understand the context in which it is used in order to determine its precise meaning.