持 meaning and stroke order
To hold; to grasp; to support
How to write 持, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 9
Meaning of 持
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hold
- to grasp
- to support
- to maintain
- to persevere
- to manage
How 持 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 寺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 持
持 is a hand 扌 next to 寺, which gives the sound. Picture a hand that keeps holding on to something and will not let go, which is why 持 means to hold, support, and keep going.
持 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in two-character words like 坚持 (jiānchí, to persist), 支持 (zhīchí, to support) and 保持 (bǎochí, to maintain). Example: 我支持你的决定。(Wǒ zhīchí nǐ de juédìng.) I support your decision.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 持 with 特 (tè, special) and 待 (dài, to wait), which also contain 寺. Check the left side: 扌 hand for 持, 牛 for 特, and 彳 for 待.
Common words with 持
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 保持 | bǎochí | to keep; to maintain | HSK 3 |
| 支持 | zhīchí | to be in favor of; to support | HSK 3 |
| 坚持 | jiānchí | to persevere with; to persist in | HSK 3 |
| 持续 | chíxù | to continue; to last; to persist | HSK 3 |
| 主持 | zhǔchí | to take charge of; to manage or direct | HSK 3 |
| 维持 | wéichí | to keep; to maintain; to preserve | HSK 4 |
| 持有 | chíyǒu | to hold (passport, views etc) | HSK 6 |
| 主持人 | zhǔchírén | host; master of ceremonies; (TV or radio) presenter; anchor; (Tw) (research project) princ | HSK 6 |
| 劫持 | jiéchí | to kidnap; to hijack | HSK 7-9 |
| 持久 | chíjiǔ | lasting; enduring | HSK 7-9 |
| 挟持 | xiéchí | to seize (sb) by the arms; to hold under duress; to abduct | HSK 7-9 |
| 扶持 | fúchí | to help; to assist | HSK 7-9 |
| 坚持不懈 | jiānchí-bùxiè | (idiom) to persevere unremittingly; to keep going until the end | HSK 7-9 |
| 持之以恒 | chízhī-yǐhéng | to pursue unremittingly (idiom); to persevere | HSK 7-9 |
持 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 持
How many strokes are in 持?
持 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 持 mean?
持 (chí) means to hold; to grasp; to support. A common word with it is 保持 (bǎochí), meaning "to keep; to maintain".
How do you pronounce 持?
持 is pronounced chí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 持?
The radical of 持 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 持 under this radical.
Is 持 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 持 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 保持 and 维持?
保持 (bǎochí) means to keep something in a good state, like 保持安静 (keep quiet). 维持 (wéichí) means to keep something going, often with effort and just barely, like 维持生活 (make ends meet).
How do I say I will keep going or never give up with 持?
Use 坚持 (jiānchí). You can say 我会坚持下去 (Wǒ huì jiānchí xiàqù), meaning I will keep at it. 坚持 can also take a verb, as in 坚持学习 (keep studying).