允诺 (yǔn nuò) — to promise; to pledge (formal, literary)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to promise' or 'to grant' a request, with a literary tone. Stronger and more solemn than the everyday 答应.

verb

to promiseto pledge (formal, literary)

允诺。
Tā xiàng wǒ yǔn nuò yí dìng huì zhǔn shí dào dá.
He promised me that he would arrive on time.
允诺。
Gōng sī yǔn nuò le yuán gōng jiā xīn de yāo qiú.
The company granted the employees' request for a raise.
允诺，。
Jì rán yǐ jīng yǔn nuò, jiù yào jìn lì zuò dào.
Since you have already promised, you must do your best to fulfill it.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

允 means to agree, and 诺 means to promise; together they express making a pledge.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

允 is drawn as a person with the hands held behind the back.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 諾; 诺 is its simplified writing.

言若諾

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánword, speak

Sound part声符shēngfú

若

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 諾 pairs 言, meaning word or speak, with 若 as a sound part, for an affirmative answer. The simplified 诺 is a later shorthand.

Appears in