将就

將就

jiāngjiu

verb #74,946

Meanings

1 to make do with
2 to put up with
3 to settle for

Characters

to accept; to go along with

Examples

条件有限,你将就一下。

Tiáojiàn yǒuxiàn, nǐ jiāngjiu yíxià.

Conditions are limited — please make do.

他不愿意在感情上将就。

Tā bú yuànyì zài gǎnqíng shàng jiāngjiu.

He doesn't want to settle in love.

今天没好菜,将就吃吧。

Jīntiān méi hǎo cài, jiāngjiu chī ba.

There's no great food today, just make do.

Tips

usage

将就 (jiāngjiu) — note the neutral tone on 就 — has become a buzzword in modern Chinese romance discourse: 不将就 ('not settling') is the millennial mantra for refusing imperfect partners. Both Li Ronghao (李荣浩) and Eason Chan (陈奕迅) duetted the 2016 hit 《不将就》.

mistakes

Don't read 将 as 'jiàng' (general). Here it's 'jiāng' (the more common reading). 就 here is unstressed (neutral tone).

In Pop Culture

《不将就》 Bù Jiāngjiu

'Not Settling'

2016 hit by Li Ronghao (李荣浩), theme song of the film 《何以笙箫默》, which made 不将就 a slogan for refusing to compromise in love.

Stroke Order

将 jiāng

就 jiù