伸张

• Pinyin: shēn zhāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 伸 = 亻+ 申 (assert — person reaching out); 张 = 弓 + 长 (bow drawn to full length — stretch, extend)

Meaning

To uphold, vindicate, or assert (rights or justice); to promote or advance a righteous cause; to champion a principle.

Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase 伸张正义 (to uphold justice). Also used for asserting legal rights or standing up against injustice. Carries a strong sense of correcting wrongs through principled action.

Examples

1. 律师的职责之一就是帮助弱势群体伸张正义，捍卫合法权益。 One of a lawyer’s responsibilities is to help vulnerable groups uphold justice and defend their lawful rights and interests.
2. 面对不公正的待遇，她毅然选择通过法律途径伸张自己的权利。 Faced with unfair treatment, she resolutely chose to assert her rights through legal channels.
3. 这部纪录片记录了记者们冒险深入报道以伸张社会公正的故事。 This documentary tells the story of journalists who risked their safety to report from the front lines in order to uphold social justice.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, social justice, ethics

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 司法机关有责任为受害者伸张正义，让犯罪者受到应有的惩处。(The judiciary has a responsibility to uphold justice for victims and ensure that criminals receive appropriate punishment.)
• 这次维权行动成功为数百名工人伸张了合法权益。(This rights protection campaign successfully vindicated the lawful rights and interests of hundreds of workers.)

Don't Say

• 他伸张了双臂 — 伸张 in the physical sense of spreading arms is archaic and unnatural; use 张开 or 伸开 instead

Origin & History

伸 (to extend, assert) + 张 (to open up, spread, promote)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal