持 chí — sustain · English

持

chí

sustain

At a glance · 持

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

「持」从手寺声，小篆从手持声，形声清晰。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「持」本义为拿着、握住，引申保持、主持、支持。

Structure

从手、寺声，形声字，手表义类，寺表音，本为握持。

At a glance

Pinyinchí

Radical扌

Strokes9

UnicodeU+6301

Character type形声

Theme动作

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English sustain sustain, support; hold, grasp

Français tenir / maintenir Tenir, maintenir. «坚持雅操» : persévérer.

Español tener / mantener Tener, mantener. «坚持雅操»: perseverar.

العربية يمسك / يثبت يمسك، يثبت. «坚持雅操»: المثابرة.

Русский держать / сохранять Держать, сохранять. «坚持雅操»: преуспевать в этом.

Common words

支持zhī chísupport
保持bǎo chíkeep

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