咬紧牙关

咬緊牙關

yǎojǐn-yáguān

idiom #25,356

Meanings

1 to grit one's teeth
2 to clench one's teeth and bear it
3 to endure with determination

Characters

joint; gate; crucial point

Examples

HSK 2

她咬紧牙关完成了最后一公里。

Tā yǎojǐn-yáguān wánchéng le zuìhòu yī gōnglǐ.

She gritted her teeth and completed the last kilometer.

HSK 3

虽然很痛苦，但他咬紧牙关坚持到了最后。

Suīrán hěn tòngkǔ, dàn tā yǎojǐn-yáguān jiānchí dào le zuìhòu.

Although it was very painful, he gritted his teeth and held on to the very end.

HSK 6

创业初期很艰难，只能咬紧牙关撑过去。

Chuàngyè chūqī hěn jiānnán, zhǐnéng yǎojǐn-yáguān chēng guòqù.

The early days of starting a business are tough - you just have to grit your teeth and push through.

Tips

memory

Picture literally biting down hard on your own jaw - 咬 (bite) + 紧 (tight) + 牙关 (jaw joint). The physical image captures the mental act of bearing pain or difficulty.

Stroke Order

咬 yǎo

紧 jǐn

牙 yá

关 guān