钉

• Pinyin: dìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 钉 = 钅(metal) + 丁 (nail shape — a pictograph of a peg or spike)

Meaning

To nail; to fasten by hammering. To fix something securely in place with a nail or by driving something in.

Also used figuratively: 钉住 means to pin down or keep a close watch on someone, particularly in sports (marking a player) or surveillance contexts. The figurative use is common in sports commentary and colloquial speech.

Examples

1. 工人仔细地将木板钉在框架上，确保整体结构牢固稳定。 The worker carefully nailed the boards onto the frame to make sure the overall structure was solid and stable.
2. 她把孩子的画作钉在墙上，作为对其努力的肯定与鼓励。 She nailed her child’s drawings to the wall as recognition and encouragement for the effort.
3. 教练要求防守球员死死钉住对方的核心球员，不给其任何出球空间。 The coach told the defenders to stay glued to the other team’s key player and give him no room to make a play.

Usage Guide

Context: construction, household, sports, figurative

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请帮我把这幅画钉到墙上，挂在书桌正上方。(Please help me nail this painting to the wall, directly above the desk.)
• 防守方钉住了对手的最强进攻点，成功压制了对方整场攻势。(The defence pinned down the opponent's strongest attacking point and successfully suppressed their entire offensive throughout the match.)

Don't Say

• 用钉打那颗钉子 — redundant and unnatural; say 把钉子钉进去 or 把那颗钉子敲进去; avoid repeating 钉 as both verb and noun in the same clause without clear contrast

Origin & History

钉 = 钅(metal radical) + 丁 (pictograph of a nail or spike; also a common surname)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal