放贷 (fàng dài) — to make loans, to lend money (as a bank or financial institution)

Definition

To lend money, typically used for banks and financial institutions (as a business activity). Pairs naturally with 业务 ('business') and often appears in legal/regulatory contexts, e.g. 非法放贷 ('illegal lending').

verb
to make loansto lend money (as a bank or financial institution)

Examples

  • 放贷。
    Yín háng xiàng zhōng xiǎo qǐ yè fàng dài.
    Banks make loans to small and medium enterprises.
  • 放贷。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén cóng shì fàng dài yè wù.
    This company specializes in loan business.
  • 放贷。
    Tā yīn wèi fēi fǎ fàng dài bèi pàn le xíng.
    He was sentenced for illegal lending.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

放fàngput out
贷dàiloan

放 gives the sense of putting out, and 贷 gives the sense of a loan, so together they mean to make loans.

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
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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 貸; 贷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
代
代dài貸dài
Same sound today

The traditional form 貸 pairs 貝 (shell) with 代, which gives its sound; the simplified 贷 is a later shorthand. It originally meant to give or bestow, later to lend.

Open 贷 →

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