支撑 (zhīchēng) · to support

支撑 (zhīchēng) means “to support; to prop up; to hold out”. It is written with 2 characters: 支 (measure word for pens, songs, teams) + 撑 (to support). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 支撑 is built

The characters

支 zhī · measure word for pens, songs, teams

What 支 is made of

十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
又yòu — and

Origin hint: A hand 又 holding a branch 十 for support (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

撑 chēng · to support

What 撑 is made of

扌shǒu — hand
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 亅 — hook
掌zhǎng — in charge
- 尚shàng — still
  - ⺌ — structural part
  - 冂 — frame
  - 口kǒu — mouth
- 手shǒu — hand

Example sentences

几根柱子支撑着屋顶。Jǐ gēn zhùzi zhīchēng zhe wūdǐng.A few pillars hold up the roof.

是信念支撑他走到了最后。Shì xìnniàn zhīchēng tā zǒu dào le zuìhòu.It was his belief that kept him going to the end.

Questions about 支撑

What does 支撑 mean?

支撑 (zhīchēng) means “to support; to prop up; to hold out”.

How do you pronounce 支撑?

支撑 is pronounced zhīchēng.

Which HSK level is 支撑?

支撑 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 支撑 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 234: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group