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有约在先 (yǒu yuē zài xiān) — to have a prior engagement; as promised beforehand

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'already have a prior commitment / as previously agreed.' Polite way to decline an invitation or confirm a prior arrangement.

idiom
to have a prior engagementas promised beforehand

Examples

  • ，有约在先，。
    Duì bu qǐ, wǒ yǒu yuē zài xiān, bù néng cān jiā nǐ de jù huì le.
    Sorry, I have a prior engagement and can't attend your party.
  • 有约在先，。
    Wǒ men yǒu yuē zài xiān, jīn tiān xià wǔ sān diǎn jiàn miàn.
    We agreed beforehand to meet at 3 p.m. today.
  • ，有约在先。
    Tā jù jué le wǒ de yāo qǐng, shuō yǐ jīng yǒu yuē zài xiān.
    He declined my invitation, saying he already had a prior engagement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

有约a promise
有yǒuhave约yuēpromise
动宾Verb + object
在先beforehand
在zàibe at先xiānbefore
动宾Verb + object

有约 (a promise) and 在先 (beforehand) combine to mean a prior engagement exists.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 約; 约 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo約yuē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.

Open 约 →

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

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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