祷 (dǎo) — (bound form) to pray; to beg
Definition
祷 (dǎo) is a bound morpheme meaning 'to pray' — it almost always appears in compound words like 祷告 (pray) or 祈祷 (pray to gods), not on its own.
bound form
to prayto beg
Examples
- 。Tā měi tiān dōu huì qí dǎo.He prays every day.
- 。Tā zài jiào táng lǐ zuò dǎo gào.She is praying in the church.
- 祷。Rén men xiàng shén líng dǎo zhù píng ān.People pray to the gods for peace.
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 禱; 祷 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
壽
壽shòu禱dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 禱 pairs 示, an altar, with 壽, which gives its sound; the simplified 祷 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.
Appears in
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