僵 jiāng stiff
stiff; still; motionless; rigid; deadlock
How to remember 僵: 亻 person + 畺 field borders = stiff. The farmer is the only person who walks all the field borders in the frost, and he comes home with his fingers stiff.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
僵 = 亻 person + 畺 field borders
- 亻 person meaning
- 畺 field borders sound
The farmer is the only person who walks all the field borders in the frost, and he comes home with his fingers stiff.
How it came to be
The person gives the meaning and the right part gives the sound.
How it is used
- Stiff, rigid, unable to move or budge: 僵硬 (jiāngyìng) stiff, 冻僵 (dòngjiāng) frozen stiff, 僵尸 (jiāngshī) a hopping corpse/zombie.
- Figuratively a deadlock: 僵局 (jiāngjú) an impasse, 僵持 (jiāngchí) to be in stalemate, 关系僵了 the relationship has frozen over.
- The through-line: motion/negotiation locked up, no give.