殭 (jiāng) - Stiff, rigid & numb

殭Tone 1

jiāng ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

殭 · jiāng

Stiff, rigid;

numb;

unyielding;

refers to something hardened or inflexible, often used to describe rigor mortis or stubbornness.

Stiff, rigidnumbunyielding

Usage highlights

Stiff corpseRigid bodyDeadlockStubborn and rigidFrozen stiffStiff neck

Synonyms

  • 硬— hard, stiff
  • 固— solid, rigid
  • 板— stiff, wooden

Antonyms

  • 软— soft, flexible
  • 柔— soft, gentle
  • 活— alive, lively

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The corpse was stiff (殭尸).
  • My fingers are numb from the cold (冻殭).
  • He has a stubborn personality (性格殭硬).
  • The negotiations reached a stalemate (殭局).

Collocations

  • Stiff corpse(殭尸)
  • Rigid body(殭体)
  • Deadlock(殭局)
  • Stubborn and rigid(殭硬)
  • Frozen stiff(冻殭)
  • Stiff neck(殭颈)

Idioms

  • Stiff as a corpse(殭尸一般)
  • Rigid and unyielding(殭硬不化)
  • Deadlocked situation(殭持不下)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with corpses and death in Chinese folklore and literature.
  • Often appears in horror stories and films about jiangshi (殭尸), the Chinese hopping vampire/zombie.
  • Used metaphorically to describe stubbornness or inflexibility in personality or situations.

FAQ