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取决于 (qǔ jué yú) — to depend on; to be determined by

Definition

A formal written phrase meaning 'to depend on / be decided by' — the outcome is not yet fixed and hinges on something else. More formal and abstract than the plain verb 看.

verb
to depend onto be determined by

Examples

  • 取决于。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì de chéng jì qǔ jué yú yú nǐ de nǔ lì chéng dù.
    The result of this exam depends on how hard you work.
  • 取决于。
    Xiàng mù de chéng gōng qǔ jué yú yú tuán duì de hé zuò.
    The success of the project depends on the team's cooperation.
  • 取决于。
    Shì fǒu qù lǚ xíng qǔ jué yú yú tiān qì qíng kuàng.
    Whether we go on the trip depends on the weather conditions.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →

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 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →
Appears in
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