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相当 (xiāng dāng) — (adverb) quite, fairly, considerably; (verb) to be equivalent to, to correspond to

Definition

As an adverb, 相当 means 'quite, fairly' — stronger than 比较 ('relatively'), weaker than 颇 ('rather'). As a verb, it's a general 'to be equivalent to / match', similar to 等于 and 对应 but used more broadly.

adverb
quitefairlyconsiderably
verb
to be equivalent toto correspond to

Examples

  • 相当。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng xiāng dāng hǎo kàn.
    This movie is quite good.
  • 相当。
    Tā de néng lì hé zhí wèi xiāng dāng.
    His ability is equivalent to the position.
  • 相当。
    Zhè lǐ de huán jìng xiāng dāng ān jìng.
    The environment here is quite quiet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

相xiāngmutual
当dāngmatch

相 contributes mutual or each other to 当, giving the idea of matching or being equivalent.

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

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