订阅 (dìng yuè) — to subscribe (to a magazine, newspaper, online… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

订阅 focuses on signing up to receive ongoing content or services (newspapers, podcasts, memberships). 订购 is for buying a product or service outright; 续 is for renewing an existing subscription.

verb

to subscribe (to a magazine, newspaper, online channel, or service)

Examples

订阅。
Wǒ dǎ suàn dìng yuè yí fèn yīng wén bào zhǐ lái liàn xí yuè dú.
I plan to subscribe to an English newspaper to practice reading.
订阅？
Nǐ yǐ jīng dìng yuè zhè ge bō kè le ma?
Have you subscribed to this podcast yet?
订阅。
dìng yuè Wǒ men de huì yuán fú wù kě yǐ xiǎng shòu dú jiā yōu huì.
Subscribing to our membership service gives you exclusive discounts.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

订dìngbook/order

“订” books and “阅” reads, so it means to book and read a publication.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 訂; 订 is its simplified writing.

言丁訂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng訂dìng

Same sound today

The traditional form 訂 combines 言, related to speech, with 丁, which gives the sound; the simplified 订 is a later shorthand.

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 閱; 阅 is its simplified writing.

門兌閱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門mén

Sound part声符shēngfú

兌

兌duì閱yuè

Same sound today

The traditional form 閱 pairs 門, a gate, with 兌, a part that gives the sound; the simplified 阅 is a shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Media & News

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