Dong Chinese dictionary

dá, dā

answer

Original meaning:

small bean

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 合 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "small bean". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

⺮ Meaning component

zhú

bamboo

⺮ is a component form of 竹.

⺮ hints at the original meaning of 答, "small bean", which is no longer the most common meaning of 答 in modern Mandarin.

合 Sound component

hé, gě

to join

答 and 合 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in older Chinese.答 /*[t]ˤ[u]p/
合 /*kˤop/, /*m-kˤop/

Definitions

答

dá

answer, reply; return; assent to; reply; answer; respond; echo

答

dā

to answer; to agree

Most common words with 答