让给 (ràng gěi) — to yield (something) to; to give up (something) to

Definition

A verb-object compound meaning to yield or hand something over to someone, typically in your possession. Note the 把 construction in the examples — you '把 N 让给' someone, not 让给 someone N directly.

verb
to yield (something) toto give up (something) to

Examples

  • 让给。
    Tā bǎ zuò wèi ràng gěi le lǎo rén.
    He yielded his seat to the elderly person.
  • ，让给。
    Zhè ge jī huì hěn nán dé, wǒ bù xiǎng ràng gěi bié rén.
    This opportunity is rare, I don't want to give it up to others.
  • 让给。
    Tā bǎ gōng sī ràng gěi le ér zi guǎn lǐ.
    He turned the company over to his son to manage.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

让ràngyield
给gěigive

让 means to yield, and 给 adds the sense of giving it over, so to turn something over.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 讓; 让 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
襄
襄xiāng讓ràng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 讓 combines 言, showing speech, with 襄, giving the sound; the evidence links it to criticizing or reproaching. The simplified 让 is a later shorthand.

Open 让 →

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 給; 给 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé給gěi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 給 uses 糸 (silk) for meaning and 合 for sound, and its old sense was rich, abundant, perhaps referring to precious silk; 给 is a later simplified form.

Open 给 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.