Chinese word

撑腰

Pronunciation

Pinyinchēng yāo

Meaning

  • verbback up

Example

在关键时刻，他总是为我撑腰。zài guān jiàn shí kè tā zǒng shì wèi wǒ chēng yāo

At crucial moments, he always backs me up.

Illustration for 撑腰 (back up)

More examples

争论中，他当众替同事撑腰。zhēng lùn zhōng tā dāng zhòng tì tóng shì chēng yāo

During the debate, he publicly stood up for his colleague.

Core concept

Support stands behind someone in trouble, making that person's side stronger and more secure.

Common phrases

  • 替他撑腰tì tā chēng yāo

    stand up for him

  • 当众替同事撑腰dāng zhòng tì tóng shì chēng yāo

    publicly stand up for a colleague

Similar words

支持zhī chí: Showing approval of someone's ideas or actions while supporting them.
帮助bāng zhù: Providing hands-on help to deal with a person's difficulty.

Definition in Chinese

在争执或困难面前以行动或公开表态帮助别人，使其处境变得有利，表示作为后盾支持对方。zài zhēng zhí huò kùn nán miàn qián yǐ xíng dòng huò gōng kāi biǎo tài bāng zhù bié rén shǐ qí chǔ jìng biàn de yǒu lì biǎo shì zuò wéi hòu dùn zhī chí duì fāng

Word origin

撑 (chēng, "to support") + 腰 (yāo, "waist") literally suggests holding up a person's back, a physical image that develops into standing behind someone during a conflict.

Usage tips

  • The word often describes support that is visible in a social situation, such as a senior colleague openly supporting a junior one, rather than private sympathy alone.

Other meanings

  • backingnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word