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预定 (yù dìng) — to schedule (a plan, project) in advance; to reserve, book (a seat, ticket, room)

Definition

预定 means to book or reserve a seat, ticket, or room in advance. Versus 预约 (making an appointment for a service), 预定 is for things you pay for or claim, not appointments. Unlike 准备, the focus is on locking in a spot, not getting ready.

verb
to schedule (a plan, project) in advanceto reservebook (a seat, ticket, room)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 预定。
    Wǒ men yù dìng le xià zhōu de huì yì shí jiān.
    We scheduled the meeting time for next week in advance.
  • 预定。
    Nà ge zuò wèi yǐ jīng bèi rén yù dìng le.
    That seat has already been reserved by someone.
  • 预定。
    Wǒ yù dìng le yí gè fáng jiān.
    I booked a room.

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.

预yùin advance
定dìngset

预 means beforehand and 定 means to set, giving setting in advance.

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 預; 预 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ預yù
Same sound today

The traditional form 預 combines 予 for the sound and 頁 for the meaning; the simplified 预 is a later shorthand.

Open 预 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →
Appears in
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