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报答 (bào dá) — to repay (a kindness, favor, or help)

Definition

To repay a kindness, favor, or emotional debt (gratitude, love). Unlike 偿还 (repaying money/loans), 报答 is for intangible debts of the heart; 回报 is a close synonym but 报答 emphasizes personal gratitude and emotional response.

verb
to repay (a kindness, favor, or help)

Examples

  • 报答。
    Wǒ yǒng yuǎn wú fǎ bào dá fù mǔ de ēn qíng.
    I can never repay my parents' kindness.
  • 报答。
    Tā yòng zì jǐ de xíng dòng bào dá le péng you de bāng zhù.
    He repaid his friend's help with his own actions.
  • ，报答。
    Zhè fèn ēn qíng, wǒ jiāng lái yí dìng huì bào dá.
    This kindness, I will definitely repay in the future.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

报bàorepay
答dáreturn

报 and 答 both convey the idea of returning kindness, so together they mean to repay a favor.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé答dá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

答 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 合 as the sound part; the bamboo top replaced an older grass part by mistake.

Open 答 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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