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待定 (dài dìng) — to be pending; to be to be determined

Definition

待定 (dāidìng) means something is still undecided or awaiting a final answer. It is more formal than saying '还没定' in everyday speech, and is used in schedules, plans, and official contexts.

verb
to be pendingto be to be determined

Examples

  • 待定。
    Huì yì shí jiān dài dìng.
    The meeting time is to be determined.
  • 待定。
    Zhè ge wèn tí mù qián dài dìng jiě jué.
    This issue is currently pending resolution.
  • 待定。
    Chū xíng jì huà hái dài dìng pī zhǔn.
    The travel plan is still pending approval.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

待dàiawait
定dìngdetermine

待 means await and 定 means determine, giving the sense of waiting to be determined.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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