度假 (dù jià) — to go on vacation, to spend one's holiday

Definition

度假 focuses on the activity of going away on vacation (often a trip). 休假 is just taking leave; 放假 is the scheduled holiday when everyone is off.

verb

to go on vacationto spend one's holiday

度假。
Wǒ dǎ suàn míng nián xià tiān qù dù jià.
I plan to go on vacation next summer.
。
Wǒ men dù le yí gè hěn kāi xīn de jiǎ.
We had a very happy vacation.
度假？
Nǐ dù jià de shí hou xǐ huan zuò shén me?
What do you like to do when you're on vacation?

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

度dùspend time

假jiǎvacation

'度' spend time, '假' vacation; together: spend a vacation.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻叚假

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

叚

叚jiǎ假jiǎ

Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Appears in