陪伴 (péi bàn) — to accompany

Definition

陪伴 (péi bàn) means to accompany someone with a sense of emotional presence over time, stronger and warmer than the neutral 陪. Use it for people, not things or music.

verb
to accompany

Examples

  • 陪伴。
    Tā xǐ huan péi bàn tā de hái zi xiě zuò yè.
    He likes to accompany his child doing homework.
  • 陪伴。
    Mā ma péi bàn wǒ zǒu guò nà tiáo lù.
    Mom accompanied me walking along that road.
  • ，陪伴。
    Zài zhè ge chéng shì, méi yǒu rén péi bàn wǒ.
    In this city, no one accompanies me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

陪péiaccompany
伴bànkeep company

陪 “accompany” and 伴 “keep company” combine to mean staying with someone.

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
阜阜fùsoil mountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu陪péi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

陪 pairs 阜, a mound of piled-up soil, with 咅 as a sound part; the mound gives the sense of joining up or staying close, as in accompanying.

Open 陪 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn伴bàn
Same sound today

伴 puts 亻 (person) beside 半. The person part fits the meaning of companion, and 半 gives the sound.

Open 伴 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Friends & Social

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