僵

殭

jiāng

亻 + 畺

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

jiāng (adjective) stiff; rigid

jiāng (adjective) at a deadlock; in a stalemate

Etymology phono-semantic

person

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 畺

About

僵 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 亻 (rén, 'person') conveys the general meaning, while the component 畺 (jiāng, originally 'field boundaries') provides the pronunciation. Its primary meaning is stiffness or rigidity of the body, particularly when mobility and warmth are lost. Over time, the character's application expanded metaphorically to describe rigidity in abstract contexts, and it now appears frequently in modern vocabulary for deadlocked situations, stalemates in negotiations, and institutional inflexibility where progress is completely stalled.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的表情很僵硬。

Tā de biǎoqíng hěn jiāngyìng.

His expression is very stiff.

冬天里，手指容易僵硬。

Dōngtiān lǐ, shǒuzhǐ róngyì jiāngyìng.

In winter, fingers easily become stiff.

僵尸电影很受欢迎。

Jiāngshī diànyǐng hěn shòu huānyíng.

Zombie movies are very popular.

双方僵持不下，谈判暂停。

Shuāngfāng jiāngchí bùxià, tánpàn zàntíng.

Both sides are deadlocked, and the negotiations are suspended.

这个僵局需要打破。

Zhège jiāngjú xūyào dǎpò.

This deadlock needs to be broken.

他的思想僵化，不接受新观念。

Tā de sīxiǎng jiānghuà, bù jiēshòu xīn guānniàn.

His thinking is rigid and does not accept new ideas.

由于资金问题，项目陷入了僵局。

Yóuyú zījīn wèntí, xiàngmù xiànrùle jiāngjú.

Due to funding issues, the project has reached a deadlock.

在激烈的辩论中，他僵立原地，无言以对。

Zài jīliè de biànlùn zhōng, tā jiāng lì yuándì, wú yán yǐ duì.

In the heated debate, he stood rigidly in place, speechless.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 畺

僵