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照应 (zhào ying) — to look after, to take care of (someone or something)

Definition

A transitive verb meaning to look after or watch over someone/something in your care. It focuses on attentive supervision (e.g., luggage, children) rather than serving or helping, which is more 照顾.

verb
to look afterto take care of (someone or something)

Examples

  • ，照应。
    Wǒ bú zài jiā de shí hou, má fan nǐ zhào ying yí xià wǒ de māo.
    When I'm not at home, please take care of my cat for a while.
  • 照应，。
    Tā yí gè rén yào zhào ying sān gè hái zi, hěn xīn kǔ.
    She has to look after three children on her own — it's very hard.
  • 照应，。
    Nǐ bāng wǒ zhào ying yí xià xíng li, wǒ qù mǎi píng shuǐ.
    Keep an eye on my luggage for me — I'm going to buy a bottle of water.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

照zhàolook after
应yìngrespond

照 looking after and 应 responding combine to mean care and coordination.

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
昭
昭zhāo照zhào
Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

Open 照 →

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 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䧹
䧹䧹應yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Open 应 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6Friends & Social

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