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在乎 (zài hu) — to care about; to mind

Definition

Use 在乎 mainly in negation or questions (不在乎 / 在乎…吗) about what someone feels or values. 关心 is a warmer 'care about' for people; 介意 specifically means 'take offense at'.

verb
to care aboutto mind

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ bú zài hu bié rén zěn me kàn wǒ.
    I don't care what others think of me.
  • 在乎？
    Nǐ zài hu zhè cì kǎo shì de jié guǒ ma?
    Do you care about the result of this exam?
  • 在乎。
    Tā hěn zài hu jiā rén de xìng fú.
    He cares a lot about his family's happiness.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

在zàibe at/care
乎hū

在 (be at/care) with 乎 gives the sense of caring about something.

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.

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

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

  • 丂丂kǎobranch

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

Open 乎 →
Appears in
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