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认得 (rèn de) — to recognize (someone or something previously seen or known); to know by sight

Definition

认得 means to recognize something you've seen before — a face, a place, a word. Pairs with 认识 (knowing a person / being acquainted), not 知道 (knowing a fact).

verb
to recognize (someone or something previously seen or known)to know by sight

Examples

  • 认得？
    Nǐ rèn de nà ge dì fāng ma?
    Do you recognize that place?
  • 认得。
    Wǒ bú rèn de zhè ge míng zì.
    I don't recognize this name.
  • 认得。
    Tā yǐ jīng bú rèn de wǒ le.
    He doesn't recognize me anymore.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

认rènrecognize
得déobtain

认 means recognize and 得 adds obtain, together to know by sight.

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
讠Written in full as言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén认rèn
Same sound today

The left part 讠 shows speech, and the right part 人 gives the sound.

Open 认 →

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

Open 得 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3Thinking & Cognition

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