verb / noun HSK 5
kàng
to resist · to withstand · resistance

Meaning

抵抗 means to actively resist or oppose something, whether a physical force, authority, disease, or temptation. It emphasizes active opposition or defense rather than passive acceptance. The word can function as both a verb (to resist) and a noun (resistance).

Usage

抵抗 is used in formal and semi-formal contexts, commonly appearing in medical, military, political, and literary texts. It often collocates with abstract concepts like disease (疾病), pressure (压力), or authority (权威). In everyday speech, 反对 or 对抗 might be more common for general opposition.

Examples

  1. 01
    人体的免疫系统可以抵抗病毒的入侵。
    Rén de miǎn tǒng kàng bìng de qīn.
    The body's immune system can resist viral invasion.
  2. 02
    他们顽强地抵抗敌人的进攻。
    men wán qiáng de kàng rén de jìn gōng.
    They tenaciously resisted the enemy's attack.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 抵抗
    kàng
    resistance, immunity
  • 抵抗疾病
    kàng bìng
    to resist disease
  • 无力抵抗
    kàng
    powerless to resist
  • 顽强抵抗
    wán qiáng kàng
    to resist tenaciously

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters contain the hand radical (扌), suggesting physical resistance or pushing back. 抵 originally meant to support or press against, while 抗 meant to resist or oppose. Together they form a compound emphasizing active resistance.

Related