Chinese edit

phonetic
simp. and trad.
(ㄍㄧㄥ)

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Hokkien, possibly (kēng) or (keng).

Pronunciation edit


Adjective edit

ㄍㄧㄥ (Taiwanese Mandarin, slang)

  1. obstinate
  2. nonexpressive and nervously tense; rarely showing feelings; inhibited; stiff and uncomfortable
    大家不熟時候ㄍㄧㄥ [MSC, trad.]
    大家不熟时候ㄍㄧㄥ [MSC, simp.]
    Gēn dàjiā bùshú de shíhòu hěn g'īng. [Pinyin]
    When he's around people he's not familiar with, he gets very tense.

Antonyms edit

Adverb edit

ㄍㄧㄥ (Taiwanese Mandarin, slang)

  1. obstinately

Verb edit

ㄍㄧㄥ (Taiwanese Mandarin, slang)

  1. to hold on firmly despite extreme adversity, pain, etc.

Synonyms edit

Usage notes edit

  • Loanwords from Taiwanese Hokkien are occasionally written in Bopomofo, so as to alert the reader that the word should be pronounced according to its sound in Hokkien rather than Mandarin.