屈服 qūfú to surrender
to surrender; to succumb; to yield; (as a transitive verb) to defeat; to prevail over
How to remember 屈服: 屈 to bend + 服 clothes = to surrender.
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How it is used
- To give in / yield to pressure or force - 他绝不向困难屈服 (tā jué bú xiàng kùnnan qūfú) he will never bow to hardship.
- The thing you yield to is marked with 向 or 在…面前: 向压力屈服, 在强权面前屈服. Emphasizes moral/psychological submission.
- Near 投降 (tóuxiáng, surrender militarily) but broader and more abstract: you 屈服 to pressure, temptation, or fate, whereas 投降 is literally laying down arms. Often negated to express defiance (不屈服).