拜访 (bài fǎng) — to pay a formal visit; to call on (a superior,…

Definition

A formal 'to pay a visit / call on', typically to a superior, elder, or respected person. 比看望 more formal and deferential.

verb

to pay a formal visitto call on (a superior, elder, or respected person)

拜访。
Xià zhōu liù wǒ men dǎ suàn bài fǎng zhāng jiào shòu.
We plan to pay a visit to Professor Zhang next Saturday.
拜访。
Zhè wèi jīng lǐ míng tiān yào qù bài fǎng yí wèi zhòng yào kè hù.
This manager is going to call on an important client tomorrow.
，拜访。
Xīn nián qī jiān, dà jiā dōu qù bài fǎng qīn qi péng you.
During the New Year period, everyone pays visits to relatives and friends.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

拜bàipay respects

拜 and 访 both mean to visit, with 拜 adding respect, describing a formal call on someone.

Characters in this word

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

拜 combines 扌 (hand, written fully as 手) with 𠦪 (herbs), showing a hand holding herbs as a gift.

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 訪; 访 is its simplified writing.

言方訪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

Same sound today

The traditional form 訪 pairs 言 (talk) with 方 to give the sound; the simplified 访 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical part.

Appears in