有待 (yǒu dài) — to have yet to be (done); to await (completion)

Definition

Formal written phrase meaning 'has yet to be (done)' — used to flag something still pending. Unlike 等待 ('to wait for' an event), 有待 emphasizes that the action itself is unfinished.

verb

to have yet to be (done)to await (completion)

Examples

有待。
Zhè ge wèn tí yǒu dài jiě jué.
This problem has yet to be solved.
有待。
Tā de zī zhì yǒu dài jìn yí bù què rèn.
His qualifications await further confirmation.
有待。
Xīn de tí àn yǒu dài yì huì tǎo lùn.
The new proposal has yet to be discussed by parliament.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

有yǒuhave

待dàiwaiting

有待 joins 有 (have) with 待 (waiting), meaning something still awaits completion.

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

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

又

又yòu有yǒu

Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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

彳寺待

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 →

Appears in