Meaning of 挺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- straight
- erect
- to stick out (a part of the body)
- to (physically) straighten up
- to support
- to withstand
- outstanding
- (coll.) quite
How to use 挺
In everyday speech 挺 (tǐng) most often means "quite" or "pretty" before an adjective, and it often pairs with 的 at the end. Example: 这个菜挺好吃的。(Zhège cài tǐng hǎochī de.) This dish is pretty tasty. As a verb it means to straighten or hold out, as in 挺住 (tǐngzhù) to hold on.
挺 has the hand radical 扌 on the left and 廷 (tíng) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a hand pushing your back so you stand straight and tall, tǐng.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 挺 with 庭 (tíng, courtyard) or 廷 (tíng, court) because they share the same part, but 挺 has the hand radical 扌 and a third tone. Also, 挺 is weaker and more casual than 很 (hěn) or 非常 (fēicháng), so do not use it when you mean "extremely."
挺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
挺 tǐng · straight · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 挺.
Questions about 挺
What does 挺 mean?
挺 (tǐng) means "straight; erect" and is used as a adverb and verb.
How do you write 挺?
挺 is made of 1 character: 挺 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 挺 an HSK word?
Yes. 挺 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 挺 and 很 when saying something is good?
挺好 (tǐng hǎo) sounds casual and slightly milder, like "pretty good." 很好 (hěn hǎo) is more neutral and works in both speech and writing. In formal writing, 很 or 非常 is usually better.
Why do people add 的 after 挺 sentences?
The pattern 挺 + adjective + 的 is very common in spoken Chinese and makes the sentence sound natural and relaxed, as in 挺不错的 (tǐng búcuò de), pretty nice. The 的 is optional but very frequent.