答话 (dá huà) — to answer, to reply

Definition

答话 means to answer or reply in speech — a formal, written register verb that typically appears in formal or set phrases. Unlike the everyday verb 回答, 答话 is a separable verb: between 答 and 话, other elements (e.g. 一句) can be inserted.

verb
to answerto reply

Examples

  • ，答话。
    Tā yóu yù le yí huì r, cái huǎn huǎn dá huà.
    He hesitated for a moment before slowly answering.
  • ，。
    Wǒ wèn le tā sān biàn, tā dōu méi yǒu dá yí jù huà.
    I asked him three times, and he didn't answer a single word.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge wèn tí tài nán le, tā dá bú shàng huà lái.
    This question is too hard; he couldn't come up with a reply.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

答dáanswer
话huàwords

答, meaning answer, combines with 话, talk, to denote replying in words.

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé答dá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

答 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 合 as the sound part; the bamboo top replaced an older grass part by mistake.

Open 答 →

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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