敌 (dí) — enemy; foe; match; equal
Definition
敌 (dí) is a bound form meaning 'enemy' (敌人) and 'match/equal' (e.g. 匹敌, 无敌). It always attaches to another character — never used alone.
bound form
enemyfoematchequal
Examples
- ，。Zài zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng zhōng, dí rén fēi cháng qiáng dà.In this war, the enemy is very powerful.
- 。Tā duì tā chōng mǎn le dí yì.He is full of hostility toward her.
- ，。Zhè zhī qiú duì shí lì qiáng dà, jī hū wú dí.This team is so strong that it is almost unmatched.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 敵; 敌 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pūto tap; to hit
Sound part声符shēngfú
啻
啻chì敵dí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 敵 pairs 啻 as a sound part with 攴, a part for tapping or hitting.
Appears in
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