Meaning of 支撑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to prop up
- to support
- strut
- brace
How to use 支撑
支撑 is used for physical support, like beams holding up a ceiling, and also for keeping something going under pressure, such as a family, an economy, or yourself when exhausted. Example: 这几根柱子支撑着整个屋顶。(Zhè jǐ gēn zhùzi zhīchēng zhe zhěnggè wūdǐng.) These few pillars support the whole roof.
支 (zhī) means a branch or something that props, and 撑 (chēng) has the hand radical 扌, like a hand pushing up to hold something open. Picture a hand jamming a branch under a sagging roof to keep it from falling.
Common mistake: Learners often use 支撑 when they mean 支持 (zhīchí), as in supporting an idea or a person. 我支持你 means I am on your side, while 支撑 means bearing weight or holding something up so it does not collapse.
支撑 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.
支 zhī · to support · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
撑 chēng · to support · 15 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
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- 15
Related words
Words that share a character with 支撑.
| 支持 | zhīchí | to be in favor of; to support |
| 支付 | zhīfù | to pay (money) |
| 支配 | zhīpèi | to control; to dominate |
| 支出 | zhīchū | to spend; to pay out; expenses; expenditure |
| 支援 | zhīyuán | to provide assistance; to support |
| 支票 | zhīpiào | check (bank); cheque |
| 开支 | kāizhī | expenditures; expenses (CL:筆|笔[bi3],項|项[xiang4]); to spend money |
| 支柱 | zhīzhù | mainstay; pillar |
| 分支 | fēnzhī | branch (of company, river etc); to branch |
| 透支 | tòuzhī | (banking) to overdraw; to take out an overdraft |
| 收支 | shōuzhī | cash flow; financial balance |
| 枪支 | qiāngzhī | a gun; guns in general |
Questions about 支撑
What does 支撑 mean?
支撑 (zhīchēng) means "to prop up; to support" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 支撑?
支撑 is made of 2 characters: 支 (4 strokes), 撑 (15 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 支撑 an HSK word?
Yes. 支撑 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 支撑 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 支撑 is written 支撐.
Can 支撑 mean to hold on or endure?
Yes. It often describes struggling to keep going, as in 他支撑不住了 (tā zhīchēng bú zhù le), he could not hold out any longer. It suggests carrying a heavy load until strength runs out.
Can 支撑 be used as a noun?
Yes. It can mean a support or something you rely on, as in 精神支撑 (jīngshén zhīchēng), emotional or spiritual support. In technical contexts it can also refer to a brace or strut.