待定 (dài dìng) — to be pending; to be to be determined

Definition

待定 (dāidìng) means something is still undecided or awaiting a final answer. It is more formal than saying '还没定' in everyday speech, and is used in schedules, plans, and official contexts.

verb
to be pendingto be to be determined
Easily confused

Examples

  • 待定。
    Huì yì shí jiān dài dìng.
    The meeting time is to be determined.
  • 待定。
    Zhè ge wèn tí mù qián dài dìng jiě jué.
    This issue is currently pending resolution.
  • 待定。
    Chū xíng jì huà hái dài dìng pī zhǔn.
    The travel plan is still pending approval.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

待dàiawait
定dìngdetermine

待 means await and 定 means determine, giving the sense of waiting to be determined.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì待dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

待 is built from 彳 on the left and 寺 on the right; 彳 is tied to the meaning, and 寺 gives the sound.

Open 待 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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