持Tone 2

chí ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 扌

持 · chí

To hold;

to grasp;

to maintain;

to support;

to manage;

to uphold.

To holdto graspto maintain

Usage highlights

To holdTo maintainTo supportTo manageTo persistTo uphold justice

Synonyms

握— to hold, to grasp
拿— to hold, to take
保— to maintain, to preserve
维— to maintain, to uphold

Antonyms

放— to release, to let go
弃— to abandon, to discard
失— to lose, to fail to maintain

Usage & contexts

Examples

Please hold this for me (请帮我拿着).
He maintains a positive attitude (他持积极态度).
They hold different opinions (他们持不同意见).
She manages the company's finances (她持公司财务).

Collocations

To hold(持有)
To maintain(保持)
To support(支持)
To manage(持家)
To persist(坚持)
To uphold justice(持正义)

Idioms

To maintain one's ground(持之有故)
To be in a dilemma(持两端)
To uphold justice and eliminate evil(持正除恶)
To maintain one's integrity(持身如玉)
To have a firm grasp(持之有恒)

Cultural background

The character combines the hand radical (扌) with the phonetic component 寺, originally meaning to grasp or hold with the hand.
In Confucian philosophy, '持' often refers to maintaining moral principles and personal integrity.
In Buddhist context, '持' can mean to uphold or maintain religious precepts and practices.

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