捐赠 (juān zèng) — to donate, to contribute (as a gift) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

捐赠 means 'to donate' — money or goods to a cause or institution, typically larger or more formal than 赠送 (giving a gift). Compare 捐献 (similar, often money/goods to relief), 贡献 (contribute effort/talent), and 捐 (the same verb, shorter).

verb

to donateto contribute (as a gift)

Examples

捐赠。
Tā jué dìng bǎ yí bù fen gōng zī juān zèng gěi hóng shí zì huì.
He decided to donate part of his salary to the Red Cross.
捐赠。
Hěn duō qǐ yè yuàn yì xiàng zāi qū juān zèng wù zī.
Many companies are willing to donate supplies to disaster areas.
捐赠。
Xué xiào hū yù jiā zhǎng juān zèng jiù shū gěi tú shū guǎn.
The school called on parents to donate used books to the library.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

捐 and 赠 both express giving, together meaning to donate as a gift.

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.

扌肙捐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

肙

肙yuān捐juān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌, from 手, shows a hand doing something. The right side 肙 gives the sound yuān.

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 贈; 赠 is its simplified writing.

貝曾贈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèi

Sound part声符shēngfú

曾

曾céng贈zèng

Same sound today

The traditional form 贈 combines 貝 with 曾, which supplies the sound; the simplified 赠 is a shorthand.

Appears in

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