<blockquote>
  <p>Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In order to interpret it properly, we should understand the English phrase "<em>put away</em>" correctly. I think this dictionary definition explains the sense of "put away" applied in this context well:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If you put something away, you put it into the place where it is normally kept when it is not being used, for example, in a drawer.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In your context, "Put your ticket away properly" suggests that you should put your ticket in the place where you feel safe and comfortable to keep it. So, 放好 here makes more sense because it's indicating <em>keep it properly</em>. 拿住, however, denotes the sense <em>holding it tightly preventing from dropping</em>, which is a bit off from the context. </p>

<p>P.S. 住 in 抓住 denotes the sense of <em>sustainability</em>. 抓住 and 抓紧 are often interchangeable in most of contexts.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T02:56:48.263Z
2019-02-03T06:48:59.653Z
2019-02-03T06:48:59.653Z
dan
<p>Both NS.X and Dan pointed out '好' is the correct resultative complement in this context, but they both mistaken '住' as 'tightly'</p>
<p>'住' doesn't indicate 'tightly', it indicates '<strong>continuously</strong>'</p>
<p>the resultative complement that indicates 'tightly' is  '緊'</p>
<p>Let me give some examples to illustrate the difference between '好', '住' and '緊'</p>
<p>拿好 = hold (properly/ finish)</p>
<p>拿住 = hold (continuously; stay holding)</p>
<p>拿緊 = hold (tightly)</p>
<p>拿好武器 = hold the weapon (properly) or (finish) taking up the weapon</p>
<p>拿住武器 = hold the weapon (continuously; stay holding)</p>
<p>拿緊武器 = hold the weapon (tightly)</p>
<p>More example:</p>
<p>鎖好門窗 = lock the doors and windows (properly) or (finish) locking the doors and windows</p>
<p>鎖住門窗 = lock the doors and windows (in a continuous state; keep them locked)</p>
<p>鎖緊門窗 = lock the doors and windows (tightly)</p>
<p><em>We can say 緊緊拿住武器, but not 緊緊拿緊武器 because 住 doesn't mean tightly, therefore we can apply the adverb 緊緊 to it. Meanwhile, 拿緊 already mean 'hold tightly' so the adverb 緊緊 would be redundant</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Put</strong> your ticket <strong>away properly</strong> and don't lose it!</p>
<p><strong>收好</strong>你的車票，不要弄丟了</p>
</blockquote>
<p>'To put away' means 'to remove from the current location and put it where it belong' therefore, the correct term is '收'</p>
<p>Both 收住(hide continuously and stay hiding) or 收緊 (pull tightly) are not correct in this context, only 收好 (put away properly) does.</p>
<p>The properly way to put away your ticket is put it in a zipped up pocket in your person or in your carrying bag. holding it in your hand all time increase the chance of losing it.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Could you please explain more about 住</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sure, 'verb+住' indicates the verb is 'on going' or 'in a continuous state'</p>
<p>舉火把 = raise a torch</p>
<p>舉起火把 = raise a torch up (起 is the directional complement)</p>
<p>舉著火把 = 1. 'in the process of raising a torch' or 2. 'raise a torch continuously'</p>
<p>舉住火把 = 'raise a torch continuously' (著 and 住 are interchangeable in this usage) but 舉住火把 doesn't have the meaning of 'in the process of raising a torch'</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T05:28:57.957Z
In some context, 抓住了 and 抓紧了 are very close. For example, 抓住/紧绳子！不要掉下去！
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T06:14:13.207Z
Yeah, 抓住绳子 means  "keep grabbing on the rope and don't let go' (keep on grabbing in a continuous state); 抓紧绳子 means "grab the rope tightly" .  In order to '抓住' (not stop grabbing) you have to grab tightly;  Likewise, if you '抓紧 (grab tightly), you can hold on rope continuously. Both can become the extended meaning of the other, but it doesn't change the fact that 住 and 紧 are different in their core meaning
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T08:40:35.243Z
'keep grabbing' implies repeated attempts at grabbing, better 'hang on to the rope and don't let go'. Similarly, 'hang on tight and don't let go'
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T08:46:21.230Z
I meant grab on the rope and stay grabbing on it ( in a continuous state). Repeat after me; "It is grabbing (holding) **on** the rope" "not "grabbing the rope
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T08:51:04.133Z
Notice: in  "抓紧住繩索"  , "抓紧" means hold on tight, and '住' indicates "in a continuous state".  Without adding  '住',  "抓紧繩索" can still be understood as an continuous action
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-04T07:25:36.477Z
Was only some free and friendly advice! 'grab' is 'rob, seize forcibly' once you have 'grabbed' you possess, no need to 'grab again'. 'grab' is one off. "grab on the rope and stay grabbing on it" is not an improvement on  "keep grabbing on the rope and don't let go". Try 'hang on to' or 'hold on to' or just 'grab the rope and don't let go'. One never needs heed advice!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-04T07:40:03.640Z
'grab' = grasp or seize suddenly and roughly; grasp = seize and hold firmly. 'Grab' already contains the meaning of 'hold on'
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-04T16:02:52.160Z
Thank you so much for your explanation!!!
Agnes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T06:44:37.953Z
Tang先生, I see you are too proud to have your Chinglish corrected, but 'stay grabbing on it' or 'keep grabbing on the rope' are not good English. You mean to say 'hold on,' as I tried to point out, just for your info.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T08:52:35.610Z
I am not a native English speaker, so I check my choice of word in dictionary often.  Yes 'Grab'  has  the meaning of 'to seize' (take away by force) but it also means 'grasp suddenly' and 'grasp' means ' hold (with hand)' . I don't think I need to change my choice here
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T09:15:06.430Z
Ok. I admit "keep grabbing on the rope" is trying to fit Chinese grammar into English sentence 抓(grab) 住(continuously) 绳子 (rope).  The more nature way  to say 抓住绳子 would be "grab the rope and hold on' . It is not continuously grabbing, but grab and maintain the grip (the action is in a continuous state)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T04:29:48.137Z
2019-02-03T06:26:07.143Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>住 functioning as complement as dictionary items, see e.g. 小马词典 <a href="http://www.xiaoma.info/compound.php?uni=%E4%BD%8F&amp;fhz=%E4%BD%8F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.xiaoma.info/compound.php?uni=%E4%BD%8F&amp;fhz=%E4%BD%8F</a>：记住、站住、握住、拦住、顶住、堵住、握住、遮住、捉住、盯住、保住、借住、停住、刹住、包住、卡住、吸住、呆住、吸住、咽住、噎住、围住、守住、扎住、扣住、扯住、抓住、抵住、拖住、栓住、挺住、揪住、捂住、搂住、挡住、煞住、留住、绊住、绑住、迷住、钳住、钩住、黏住 </p>

<p>additionally （see grammars）捆住、接住、扶住，for <strong>好</strong> see grammar e.g. 图解基础汉语语法：写、翻译、酸、做、<strong>放</strong>、<strong>拿</strong>、坐、准备、收、安排</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T05:43:09.720Z
2019-02-03T06:21:13.323Z
2019-02-03T06:21:13.323Z
user6065
<p>Your understanding about 住 is correct. It means 'stay securely; seize; hold on to', while 好 means 'properly; nicely; adequately...' in a more general sense. </p>

<p>Based on those meanings, plus your verb choice 拿, when comparing the two, 拿住 is more specific and 放好 is more general. So when you say 拿住, the literal meaning is 'seize the ticket with your hand, don't let go'. It could imply 'don't lose it' but it could also imply 'keep it handy (as if you will be asked to display it at any time)'. Meanwhile when you say 放好, it only means 'secure it', maybe with a slight hint 'put it in a secure container', but overall it is less specific on how and more focused on the result.</p>

<p>For the translate question, your answer with 拿住 is absolutely correct. It is grammatical and sounds natural, and some native speakers may come with the same answer. However, I believe in real life, 放好/收好 is more commonly used for the subtle semantic reason above.</p>

<p>An analogy in English is</p>

<ul>
<li>拿住 = hold on tightly </li>
<li>放好 = keep properly/securely</li>
</ul>

<p>Both are correct and you may actually use either one, but the second would be more common for the situation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-02T21:16:43.493Z
2019-02-02T21:16:43.493Z
NS.X.
<p>I'm currently learning about Resultative Complement in Chinese. Today, I tried to do some exercises provided by a website and bumped into this question :</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Direction: Translate this question into Chinese!</p>
<p>Question:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it!</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>I then translated the sentence into:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你的票请你拿住,... (I don't know if this one is grammatically correct though)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I initially wanted to use the resultative word &quot;好&quot; because it says &quot;properly&quot; but I became skeptical because in the explanation that I read, 住 is the one that's used to indicate &quot;to make sure sth stays securely&quot;, which I think, is more suitable for the condition above (you are told keep your ticket properly and not to lose it).</p>
<p>But when I checked the answer, it says :</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你把票放好,...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I wonder why it uses 好 whereas 住 seems to be more suitable (in my opinion)? Could you please explain more about 住?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-02T22:33:23.230Z
好 apparently is a rather universal resultative complement，can almost always be used, 住 has a much narrower collocation (搭配) field
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-03T08:36:09.040Z
Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it! 把车票放好，不要遗失了。
Pedroski
<difference><result-complement>
In 你把票放好, why is the complement 好 instead of 住?
# In 你把票放好, why is the complement 好 instead of 住?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-02-02)

I'm currently learning about Resultative Complement in Chinese. Today, I tried to do some exercises provided by a website and bumped into this question :

> Direction: Translate this question into Chinese!
>
> Question:
>
> > Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it!

I then translated the sentence into:

> 你的票请你拿住,... (I don't know if this one is grammatically correct though)

I initially wanted to use the resultative word "好" because it says "properly" but I became skeptical because in the explanation that I read, 住 is the one that's used to indicate "to make sure sth stays securely", which I think, is more suitable for the condition above (you are told keep your ticket properly and not to lose it).

But when I checked the answer, it says :

> 你把票放好,...

I wonder why it uses 好 whereas 住 seems to be more suitable (in my opinion)? Could you please explain more about 住?

**Tags:** difference, result-complement

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 好 apparently is a rather universal resultative complement，can almost always be used, 住 has a much narrower collocation (搭配) field  
> **username_2**: Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it! 把车票放好，不要遗失了。  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-02-02. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Your understanding about 住 is correct. It means 'stay securely; seize; hold on to', while 好 means 'properly; nicely; adequately...' in a more general sense.

Based on those meanings, plus your verb choice 拿, when comparing the two, 拿住 is more specific and 放好 is more general. So when you say 拿住, the literal meaning is 'seize the ticket with your hand, don't let go'. It could imply 'don't lose it' but it could also imply 'keep it handy (as if you will be asked to display it at any time)'. Meanwhile when you say 放好, it only means 'secure it', maybe with a slight hint 'put it in a secure container', but overall it is less specific on how and more focused on the result.

For the translate question, your answer with 拿住 is absolutely correct. It is grammatical and sounds natural, and some native speakers may come with the same answer. However, I believe in real life, 放好/收好 is more commonly used for the subtle semantic reason above.

An analogy in English is

* 拿住 = hold on tightly
* 放好 = keep properly/securely

Both are correct and you may actually use either one, but the second would be more common for the situation.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-02-03. Score: 7

> Put your ticket away properly and don't lose it!

In order to interpret it properly, we should understand the English phrase "*put away*" correctly. I think this dictionary definition explains the sense of "put away" applied in this context well:

> If you put something away, you put it into the place where it is normally kept when it is not being used, for example, in a drawer.

In your context, "Put your ticket away properly" suggests that you should put your ticket in the place where you feel safe and comfortable to keep it. So, 放好 here makes more sense because it's indicating *keep it properly*. 拿住, however, denotes the sense *holding it tightly preventing from dropping*, which is a bit off from the context.

P.S. 住 in 抓住 denotes the sense of *sustainability*. 抓住 and 抓紧 are often interchangeable in most of contexts.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-02-03. Score: 6

Both NS.X and Dan pointed out '好' is the correct resultative complement in this context, but they both mistaken '住' as 'tightly'

'住' doesn't indicate 'tightly', it indicates '**continuously**'

the resultative complement that indicates 'tightly' is '緊'

Let me give some examples to illustrate the difference between '好', '住' and '緊'

拿好 = hold (properly/ finish)

拿住 = hold (continuously; stay holding)

拿緊 = hold (tightly)

拿好武器 = hold the weapon (properly) or (finish) taking up the weapon

拿住武器 = hold the weapon (continuously; stay holding)

拿緊武器 = hold the weapon (tightly)

More example:

鎖好門窗 = lock the doors and windows (properly) or (finish) locking the doors and windows

鎖住門窗 = lock the doors and windows (in a continuous state; keep them locked)

鎖緊門窗 = lock the doors and windows (tightly)

*We can say 緊緊拿住武器, but not 緊緊拿緊武器 because 住 doesn't mean tightly, therefore we can apply the adverb 緊緊 to it. Meanwhile, 拿緊 already mean 'hold tightly' so the adverb 緊緊 would be redundant*

> **Put** your ticket **away properly** and don't lose it!
>
> **收好**你的車票，不要弄丟了

'To put away' means 'to remove from the current location and put it where it belong' therefore, the correct term is '收'

Both 收住(hide continuously and stay hiding) or 收緊 (pull tightly) are not correct in this context, only 收好 (put away properly) does.

The properly way to put away your ticket is put it in a zipped up pocket in your person or in your carrying bag. holding it in your hand all time increase the chance of losing it.

> *Could you please explain more about 住*

Sure, 'verb+住' indicates the verb is 'on going' or 'in a continuous state'

舉火把 = raise a torch

舉起火把 = raise a torch up (起 is the directional complement)

舉著火把 = 1. 'in the process of raising a torch' or 2. 'raise a torch continuously'

舉住火把 = 'raise a torch continuously' (著 and 住 are interchangeable in this usage) but 舉住火把 doesn't have the meaning of 'in the process of raising a torch'

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: In some context, 抓住了 and 抓紧了 are very close. For example, 抓住/紧绳子！不要掉下去！  
> **username_4**: Yeah, 抓住绳子 means  "keep grabbing on the rope and don't let go' (keep on grabbing in a continuous state); 抓紧绳子 means "grab the rope tightly" .  In order to '抓住' (not stop grabbing) you have to grab tightly;  Likewise, if you '抓紧 (grab tightly), you can hold on rope continuously. Both can become the extended meaning of the other, but it doesn't change the fact that 住 and 紧 are different in their core meaning  
> **username_2**: 'keep grabbing' implies repeated attempts at grabbing, better 'hang on to the rope and don't let go'. Similarly, 'hang on tight and don't let go'  
> **username_4**: I meant grab on the rope and stay grabbing on it ( in a continuous state). Repeat after me; "It is grabbing (holding) **on** the rope" "not "grabbing the rope  
> **username_4**: Notice: in  "抓紧住繩索"  , "抓紧" means hold on tight, and '住' indicates "in a continuous state".  Without adding  '住',  "抓紧繩索" can still be understood as an continuous action  
> **username_2**: Was only some free and friendly advice! 'grab' is 'rob, seize forcibly' once you have 'grabbed' you possess, no need to 'grab again'. 'grab' is one off. "grab on the rope and stay grabbing on it" is not an improvement on  "keep grabbing on the rope and don't let go". Try 'hang on to' or 'hold on to' or just 'grab the rope and don't let go'. One never needs heed advice!  
> **username_4**: 'grab' = grasp or seize suddenly and roughly; grasp = seize and hold firmly. 'Grab' already contains the meaning of 'hold on'  
> **username_0**: Thank you so much for your explanation!!!  
> **username_2**: Tang先生, I see you are too proud to have your Chinglish corrected, but 'stay grabbing on it' or 'keep grabbing on the rope' are not good English. You mean to say 'hold on,' as I tried to point out, just for your info.  
> **username_4**: I am not a native English speaker, so I check my choice of word in dictionary often.  Yes 'Grab'  has  the meaning of 'to seize' (take away by force) but it also means 'grasp suddenly' and 'grasp' means ' hold (with hand)' . I don't think I need to change my choice here  
> **username_4**: Ok. I admit "keep grabbing on the rope" is trying to fit Chinese grammar into English sentence 抓(grab) 住(continuously) 绳子 (rope).  The more nature way  to say 抓住绳子 would be "grab the rope and hold on' . It is not continuously grabbing, but grab and maintain the grip (the action is in a continuous state)  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-02-03. Score: 0

住 functioning as complement as dictionary items, see e.g. 小马词典 <http://www.xiaoma.info/compound.php?uni=%E4%BD%8F&fhz=%E4%BD%8F>：记住、站住、握住、拦住、顶住、堵住、握住、遮住、捉住、盯住、保住、借住、停住、刹住、包住、卡住、吸住、呆住、吸住、咽住、噎住、围住、守住、扎住、扣住、扯住、抓住、抵住、拖住、栓住、挺住、揪住、捂住、搂住、挡住、煞住、留住、绊住、绑住、迷住、钳住、钩住、黏住

additionally （see grammars）捆住、接住、扶住，for **好** see grammar e.g. 图解基础汉语语法：写、翻译、酸、做、**放**、**拿**、坐、准备、收、安排


---

