得空 (dé kòng) — to have free time, to be free

Definition

得空 (dékòng) means 'to have spare time' — used as a verb or after another verb to mean 'find the time to'. Compare 有空: 有空 asks/states whether you are free; 得空 emphasizes the moment of being free or finding the time.

verb
to have free timeto be free

Examples

  • ，得空。
    Zuì jìn yì zhí hěn máng, méi dé kòng chū qù wán.
    I've been very busy lately and haven't had free time to go out and have fun.
  • ，。
    Wǒ dé le yì tiān kōng, kě yǐ péi nǐ qù guàng jiē.
    I have a day free, so I can go shopping with you.
  • 得空？。
    Nǐ shén me shí hou dé kòng? wǒ men yì qǐ qù chī fàn.
    When are you free? Let's go eat together.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

得déget
空kōngfree time

得 gives getting, and 空 names free time, together meaning having leisure.

Characters in this word

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →

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
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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