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适度 (shì dù) — moderate, appropriate

Definition

适度 means 'moderate, appropriate in degree' — usually about behavior, exercise, or diet. More about the right degree than 中等 (a middle size/rank) or 温和 (gentle/mild in nature).

adjective
moderateappropriate

Examples

  • 适度。
    shì dù De yùn dòng duì jiàn kāng hěn yǒu hǎo chù.
    Moderate exercise is very beneficial for health.
  • 适度，。
    Yǐn shí yí dìng yào shì dù, bú yào bào yǐn bào shí.
    Diet must be moderate; don't binge.
  • 适度，。
    Tā shuō huà hěn shì dù, cóng bù kuā dà.
    He speaks moderately, never exaggerating.

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.

适shìappropriate
度dùdegree

适 means appropriate and 度 means degree, giving the sense of an appropriate degree.

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 適; 适 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
啻
啻chì適shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 適 pairs 辶 (walking) with a sound part; its inner part was originally 啻 and was stylized into 啇. The simplified 适 is a later variant.

Open 适 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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