诺 (nuò) — promise (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

诺 (nuò) is a bound morpheme meaning 'promise' that only appears inside compounds like 承诺 (promise/commit), 许诺 (to promise), 诺言 (one's word). Don't use it as a standalone word.

bound form

promise (bound form, used in compounds)

Examples

。
Tā zuò chū le chéng nuò.
He made a promise.
。
Tā de nuò yán zhí dé xìn rèn.
His promise is trustworthy.
。
Tā xǔ nuò huì àn shí wán chéng.
She promised to finish on time.

Origin

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

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 諾; 诺 is its simplified writing.

言若諾

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánword, speak

Sound part声符shēngfú

若

若ruò諾nuò

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 諾 pairs 言, meaning word or speak, with 若 as a sound part, for an affirmative answer. The simplified 诺 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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