执着
zhízhuó · HSK 7
to be strongly attached to; to be dedicated
🧲 执 grasp + 着 attach = grip something and refuse to let go; clings like a magnet
执 means to grasp or hold, 着 means to attach or stick to. Together they describe someone who grasps onto a thing and stays stuck to it: rigid, unyielding, doing everything by the book.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'