待 (dài) — to treat, to deal with (a person or a matter); to wait for; (auxiliary) about to; intending to; to need to (do something)
Definition
待 covers two distinct uses: 'to treat' a person or matter (compare 对待, more formal) and 'to wait for' (casier than 等待/等候, which are written). In the auxiliary sense it means 'about to / need to', close to 快要 but less common at HSK 4.
verb
to treatto deal with (a person or a matter)to wait for(auxiliary) about tointending toto need to (do something)
Easily confused
- 持chílook-aliketo hold; to grasp
- 带dàisound-alike(verb) to bring, to carry, to take along
- 诗shīlook-alikepoem; poetry; verse
- 戴dàisound-aliketo put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves, jewelry, etc.)
- 得delook-alike(particle) used between a verb and a complement to indicate possibility or degree
- 代dàisound-aliketo substitute, to act on behalf of, to replace
Examples
- 。Tā dài rén hěn hǎo.He treats people well.
- 待，。Nǐ zài zhè lǐ dài yí xià, wǒ qù mǎi piào.You wait here a moment, I'll go buy tickets.
- 。Hái yǒu jǐ jiàn shì dài bàn.There are still a few things to be dealt with.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì待dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
待 is built from 彳 on the left and 寺 on the right; 彳 is tied to the meaning, and 寺 gives the sound.
Appears in
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