Chinese word

征服

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhēng fú

Meaning

  • verbconquer

Example

他用笑容征服了所有人。tā yòng xiào róng zhēng fú le suó yǒu rén

He won everyone over with his smile.

Illustration for 征服 (conquer)

More examples

军队最终征服了这座城市。jūn duì zuì zhōng zhēng fú le zhè zuò chéng shì

The army finally conquered the city.

Core concept

Resistance gives way to influence, pressure, skill, or sustained effort, whether the target is a person, a rival, or a difficulty.

Common phrases

  • 征服敌人zhēng fú dí rén

    conquer the enemy

  • 征服高峰zhēng fú gāo fēng

    conquer a peak

  • 征服困难zhēng fú kùn nán

    overcome difficulties

Similar words

打败dǎ bài: Defeat a person or group through force, skill, or another effective method.
克服kè fú: Overcome a difficulty or obstacle through steady effort.
打动dǎ dòng: Move someone emotionally by creating a strong feeling.
赢得yíng dé: Earn support, trust, or victory through effort or effective action.

Definition in Chinese

使对方心服或屈服，也指通过努力战胜困难或取得决定性胜利。shǐ duì fāng xīn fú huò qū fú yě zhǐ tōng guò nǔ lì zhàn shèng kùn nán huò qǔ dé jué dìng xìng shèng lì

Word origin

征 (zhēng, "go on a campaign") + 服 (fú, "submit") expresses bringing a resistant target under control, which supports both literal victory and broader figurative uses.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 征服 (zhēngfú, "conquer") sounds emphatic, so it can make a small success sound much bigger than intended.

Other meanings

  • defeatverb
  • overcomeverb
  • subdueverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 征服者zhēng fú zhěconquerornoun

Word lists with this word