约 (yuē) — (verb) to make an appointment; to arrange to meet; (verb) to invite; (adverb) approximately; about
Definition
约 (yuē) has two main uses: as a verb, 'to arrange to meet' or 'to invite' someone (e.g. 约朋友吃饭), and as an adverb, 'approximately, about' (e.g. 约二十人). Note: 约会 is the noun 'a date/appointment', not the verb.
verb
to make an appointmentto arrange to meetto invite
adverb
approximatelyabout
Examples
- 约。Wǒ míng tiān yuē le péng you yì qǐ chī fàn.I made an appointment to eat with a friend tomorrow.
- 约。Jiào shì lǐ yǒu yuē èr shí gè xué shēng.There are approximately twenty students in the classroom.
- 约。Wǒ yuē tā lái wǒ jiā wán.I invited him to come to my house to play.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 約; 约 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo約yuē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 約 uses 糸, a rope, for its meaning and 勺 for its sound; the simplified 约 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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