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相对 (xiāng duì) — (adjective) relative, opposite; (verb) to oppose, to face each other

Definition

At HSK 5, 相对 is most commonly used as an adjective meaning 'relative' — i.e. not absolute, measured against something else (相对便宜 'relatively cheap'), unlike 比较 which is the adverb 'comparatively'. The verb sense 'to face each other' is more literary.

adjective
relativeopposite
verb
to opposeto face each other

Examples

  • 相对。
    Zhè ge chéng shì de dōng xī xiāng duì pián yi.
    Things in this city are relatively cheap.
  • 相对。
    Tā men zhàn zài xiāng duì de wèi zhì.
    They stand in relative positions.
  • 相对，。
    Wǒ men xiāng duì ér zuò, liáo le hěn jiǔ.
    We sat facing each other and talked for a long time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

相xiāngmutual
对duìface

相 contributes mutual or each other to 对, giving the idea of facing or being opposite.

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

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Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Comparison & Degree

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