Definition
屈膝 is a separable verb (离合词) formed by 屈 (bend) + 膝 (knee). Its literal meaning is 'to kneel' or 'to bend one's knee', but it is far more common in figurative usage meaning 'to give in', 'to surrender', or 'to submit humiliatingly'. When separated, the object or measure word goes between the syllables, e.g., 屈过一次膝 ('bent the knee once'). The figurative sense rarely splits. Note: the 'sit with crossed knees' gloss in some dictionaries is a mistranslation — that would be 盘腿.
v.o.
to kneelto bend one's knee (literal)(figurative) to surrenderto submit humiliatinglyto bow down
Examples
- ，。Tā nìngsǐ bù qū xī, jué bú xiàng dírén dītóu.He would rather die than kneel; he will never bow to the enemy.
- ，。Wèile zūnyán, tā cóngwèi qū guò yí cì xī.For the sake of dignity, he has never once bent his knee.
- ，屈膝。Zài yālì miànqián, tā zuìzhōng xuǎnzé le qū xī tóuxiáng.Faced with pressure, he ultimately chose to kneel and surrender.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.