令爱 (lìng ài) — (polite) your daughter

Definition

令爱 (líng'ài) is a polite, formal way to say 'your daughter,' used when speaking about someone else's daughter in respectful or written contexts. Pairs with 令尊 (your father), 令堂 (your mother), and 令郎 (your son).

noun
(polite) your daughter
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 令爱？
    Qǐng wèn lìng ài jīn nián duō dà le?
    May I ask how old your daughter is this year?
  • 令爱，！
    Tīng shuō lìng ài kǎo shàng le běi jīng dà xué, gōng xǐ gōng xǐ!
    I heard your daughter got into Peking University — congratulations!
  • 令爱。
    lìng ài Zhēn shì cái mào shuāng quán.
    Your daughter is truly both talented and beautiful.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

令lìnghonorific
爱àibeloved child

令 marks respect to the listener, and 爱 refers to a beloved child, so the term means your daughter.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →

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 愛; 爱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
旡
旡jì愛ài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 愛, an older shape paired 心 (heart) with 旡 as its sound part; later a foot-like 夊 was added below. The simplified 爱 is a later variant that replaces the lower part with 友.

Open 爱 →

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