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顶用 (dǐng yòng) — to be of use; to serve the purpose

Definition

顶用 (dǐng yòng) means 'to be useful' or 'to do the job' — usually in negative or reluctant-positive contexts (不顶用 = useless, 还顶用 = still does the trick). The verb 用 alone is just the general 'to use'.

verb
to be of useto serve the purpose

Examples

  • 顶用，。
    Zhè ge gōng jù bù dǐng yòng, huàn le bié de ba.
    This tool is useless; let's switch to another one.
  • ？。
    Guāng zháo jí dǐng shén me yòng? dé xiǎng bàn fǎ jiě jué wèn tí.
    What's the use of just worrying? You need to think of a way to solve the problem.
  • ，顶用。
    Zhè shuāng xié suī rán jiù le, dàn hái hěn dǐng yòng.
    These shoes are old, but they're still useful.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

顶dǐngsupport
用yònguse

To 顶, or support, the 用, or use, is to be useful enough to serve.

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 頂; 顶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng頂dǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 頂 pairs 頁, meaning head, with 丁, which supplies the sound; the simplified 顶 is a later abbreviation.

Open 顶 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
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