待产 (dài chǎn) — to await childbirth; to be due (for delivery)

Definition

待产 (dài chǎn) means a pregnant woman waiting for labor/delivery, usually already admitted to hospital. Not for general pregnancy; it's the final stage before birth.

verb
to await childbirthto be due (for delivery)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 待产。
    Tā zhèng zài yī yuàn dài chǎn.
    She is in the hospital awaiting childbirth.
  • ，。
    Tā yǐ jīng dài le sān tiān chǎn, hái zi hái méi chū shēng.
    She has already been waiting for delivery for three days, and the baby hasn't been born yet.
  • ，。
    Wǒ jiě jie dài guò yí cì chǎn, nà cì hěn shùn lì.
    My sister once awaited childbirth, and it went very smoothly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

待dàiwait
产chǎnchildbirth

待 means wait and 产 childbirth, together mean waiting for birth.

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
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.

Open 待 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →

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