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回答 (huí dá) — to reply; to answer

Definition

回答 (huí dá) is the everyday, neutral word for 'to answer/reply' — spoken or written, questions or messages. More formal than 答 alone; less formal than 答复.

verb
to replyto answer

Examples

  • 回答？
    Nǐ néng huí dá zhè ge wèn tí ma?
    Can you answer this question?
  • 回答。
    Tā hái méi huí dá wǒ de duǎn xìn.
    He hasn't replied to my text message yet.
  • 回答。
    Qǐng huí dá lǎo shī de wèn tí.
    Please answer the teacher's question.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

回huíreply
答dáanswer

回 means reply and 答 means answer; together they mean giving a reply.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé答dá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

答 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 合 as the sound part; the bamboo top replaced an older grass part by mistake.

Open 答 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 21000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsCommunication & Speech2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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