Chinese word

耐

Pronunciation

Pinyinnài

Meaning

  • verbbear

Example

你耐得住这点苦吗？nǐ nài de zhù zhè diǎn kǔ ma

Can you bear this bit of hardship?

Illustration for 耐 (bear)

More examples

在困难面前，他也能耐得住。zài kùn nán miàn qián tā yě néng nài de zhù

Even in the face of difficulties, he can endure them.

Core concept

Keeps holding under pressure, pain, or wear instead of giving way.

Common phrases

  • 耐得住nài de zhù

    be able to bear

  • 耐不住nài bú zhù

    be unable to bear

Similar words

忍受rěn shòu: Put up with pain or something unpleasant, even when it is hard.
承受chéng shòu: Take on the weight, burden, or harm caused by something.

Definition in Chinese

承受痛苦、困难或外界作用而不放弃或不被破坏。chéng shòu tòng kǔ kùn nán huò wài jiè zuò yòng ér bú fàng qì huò bú bèi pò huài

Word origin

The character 耐 (nài, "bear") originally referred to a lesser punishment involving shaved facial hair, and the word later developed its everyday sense of enduring hardship or wear.

Usage tips

  • Conversational 耐得住 (nài de zhù, "be able to hold up") and 耐不住 (nài bù zhù, "be unable to hold up") make the result of a strain explicit, a pattern useful for describing limits.

Other meanings

  • put up withverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 耐力nài lìendurancenoun
  • 耐久性nài jiǔ xìngdurabilitynoun

Word lists with this word