Chinese word

倔

Pronunciation

Pinyinjuè

Meaning

  • adjectivestubborn

Example

小孩太倔，不和别人玩。xiǎo hái tài juè bù hé bié rén wán

The child is too stubborn and does not play with other children.

Illustration for 倔 (stubborn)

More examples

她遇到困难时越发倔，坚持自己的方法。tā yù dào kùn nán shí yuè fā jué jiān chí zì jǐ de fāng fǎ

When she faces difficulties, she becomes increasingly stubborn and insists on her own way.

Core concept

A person whose chosen course stays firm even when others expect a change of opinion or behavior.

Common phrases

  • 倔脾气jué pí qì

    stubborn temper

  • 有点儿倔yóu diǎnr jué

    a little stubborn

  • 越来越倔yuè lái yuè jué

    increasingly stubborn

Similar words

固执gù zhí: Refuses to change personal opinions or methods, even when others offer advice.
顽固wán gù: Remains fixed in old views and will not yield, with a strongly negative sense.
倔强jué jiàng: Stands firmly by personal beliefs and does not bend easily, often showing strong resolve.
任性rèn xìng: Does whatever feels right personally and pays little attention to what others think.

Definition in Chinese

在意见或行动上坚持己见，不轻易让步，显示出倔强的性格。zài yì jiàn huò xíng dòng shàng jiān chí jǐ jiàn bù qīng yì ràng bù xiǎn shì chū jué jiàng de xìng gé

Word origin

In 倔 (jué, "stubborn"), 人 (rén, "person") marks a human trait and 屈 (qū, "bend or yield") serves chiefly as the phonetic component, giving a compact image of a person who will not yield.

Usage tips

  • In family or friendly conversation, the word can sound annoyed or fond depending on tone and context, so the negative English gloss does not always capture the speaker's attitude.

Other meanings

  • stubborn personnoun

Opposites

  • 温顺wēn shùndocileadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word