持

to hold / to grasp / to support / to maintain / to persevere / to manage / to run (i.e. administer) / to control

持 = 寺 + 扌 : Charlie Chaplin brought his Buddhist shrine to the space station, but just inside the entrance he realizes that he didn't think of zero gravity as his shrine is about to float away. His only option at the moment is to grasp the shrine with two toy claws and manage it this way.

持 character breakdown

持
- 寺
  - 土
    - 一
    - 十
      - 一
      - 丨
  - 寸
    - 一
    - 丶
    - 亅
- 扌
  - 亅
  - 二
    - 一

寺

sì = s + Ø4

Buddhist temple / mosque / government office (old)

寺 = 土 + 寸 : Socrates (s) built a Buddhist temple (寺) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). To protect it from being destroyed while floating around in zero gravity, he built a protective frame made out of mud (土) around it. After finishing it he inspects it and thinks "thumbs up" (寸), because he is proud of his work.

扌

shǒu = sh + ou3

"hand" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 64), occurring in 提, 把, 打 etc

扌 = 二 + 亅 : Mnemonic symbol: a toy claw.

Characters with 持 as component

持 is not used as a component in another character.

Words with 持

主

zhǔ

持

chí

to take charge of / to manage or direct / to preside over / to uphold / to stand for (justice etc) / to host (a TV or radio program etc) / (TV) anchor

主

zhǔ

持

chí

人

rén

TV or radio presenter / host / anchor

僵

jia̅ng

持

chí

to be deadlocked