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指定 (zhǐ dìng) — to appoint, to assign (someone to a position or task); to specify, to designate (a time, place, condition, etc.)

Definition

指定 means to appoint/designate — used for both people (a role) and concrete things (a time, place, route). More concrete and personal than 规定 (a rule/regulation) and more active than 明确 (to clarify/make explicit).

verb
to appointto assign (someone to a position or task)to specifyto designate (a time, place, condition, etc.)

Examples

  • 指定。
    Lǎo bǎn zhǐ dìng tā zuò xīn de xiàng mù fù zé rén.
    The boss appointed him as the new project leader.
  • 指定，。
    Chū fā shí jiān yǐ jīng zhǐ dìng hǎo le, wǒ men míng tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn chū fā.
    The departure time has been specified; we will depart at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
  • 指定，。
    Qǐng àn zhào zhǐ dìng de lù xiàn xíng shǐ, bú yào zǒu qí tā lù.
    Please follow the designated route and do not take other roads.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

指zhǐpoint
定dìngfix

指 points out and 定 fixes or settles, giving the sense of appointing or designating something clearly.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Management

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