磐石 (pánshí) · boulder, massive rock

Measure Word

一块磐石 kuài

Meanings

1 boulder
2 massive rock
3 (figurative) something rock-solid and immovable

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

他们的友谊坚如磐石。

Tāmen de yǒuyì jiānrúpánshí.

Their friendship is as solid as a rock.

HSK 6

山顶上有一块巨大的磐石。

Shāndǐng shàng yǒu yí kuài jùdà de pánshí.

There's an enormous boulder on the mountaintop.

HSK 7-9

公司的根基稳如磐石。

Gōngsī de gēnjī wěn rú pánshí.

The company's foundations are rock-steady.

Tips

usage

Most often appears in the comparison phrases 坚如磐石 (solid as a rock) and 稳如磐石 (steady as a rock) - used for friendships, alliances, foundations, resolve. Almost never used to literally describe a rock today.

memory

磐 shows 般 (sort/kind) over 石 (stone) - "the kind of stone" that is huge and immovable. The 石 below also doubles down on the second character of the word.