僵

• Pinyin: jiāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 僵 = 亻(person) + 畺 (rigid, boundary) — a person in a rigid state

Meaning

Stiff; rigid; numb. Describing something that has lost flexibility or mobility.

Describes physical stiffness (muscles, body), frozen states, or metaphorically deadlocked situations. Often appears in compounds: 僵硬 (stiff), 僵持 (deadlock), 冻僵 (frozen stiff). Can describe relationships that have become awkward or tense. The character originally depicted a stiff silkworm.

Examples

1. 他在寒风中站了太久，手脚都冻僵了。 He stood in the cold wind for too long and his hands and feet became frozen stiff.
2. 谈判陷入僵持，双方互不相让。 The negotiations reached a deadlock, with neither side willing to give in.
3. 她紧张得表情僵在脸上，完全不自然。 She was so nervous that her expression froze on her face, completely unnatural.

Usage Guide

Context: physical description, negotiations, relationships

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他吓得身体都僵了。(He was so scared his body went rigid.)
• 气氛僵住了，谁也不说话。(The atmosphere froze up, and nobody spoke.)

Don't Say

• 用'僵'形容性格固执 (Don't use 僵 for stubborn personality — use 固执 or 倔强; 僵 is for physical or situational rigidity)

Origin & History

Composed of 亻(person radical) + 畺 (boundary/rigid). Originally depicted a silkworm that has become stiff before molting or dying. Extended to mean any rigid, inflexible state.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal