应

應

yīng, yìng

一 + 广 + 𭕄

HSK 3.0Level 7

Frequency#144

Definitions

yīng (auxiliary verb) should; ought to; must

yìng (verb) to respond; to answer; to cope with

Etymology

Simplified form of 應. Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 䧹 represents the sound.

About

The character "应" derives from its traditional form "應", structurally composed of "广" over "心" and "隹", with "心" indicating the mental or heartfelt aspect of responding and "隹" likely functioning as a phonetic element. Its original meaning centered on answering or reacting, which gradually extended to encompass obligations such as "should" and ideas of suitability or correspondence. The simplified form "应" retains the "广" component while replacing the lower complex with "业", a graphical abstraction from historical cursive renditions.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我应该去学校。

Wǒ yīnggāi qù xuéxiào.

I should go to school.

他应了一声。

Tā yìng le yī shēng.

He responded with a sound.

你应该努力学习。

Nǐ yīnggāi nǔlì xuéxí.

You should study hard.

应用新技术很重要。

Yìngyòng xīn jìshù hěn zhòngyào.

Applying new technology is important.

他答应明天来。

Tā dāyìng míngtiān lái.

He promised to come tomorrow.

我们必须适应环境变化。

Wǒmen bìxū shìyìng huánjìng biànhuà.

We must adapt to environmental changes.

这项政策应得到广泛支持。

Zhè xiàng zhèngcè yīng dédào guǎngfàn zhīchí.

This policy should receive widespread support.

企业应及时响应客户需求。

Qǐyè yīng jíshí xiǎngyìng kèhù xūqiú.

Enterprises should promptly respond to customer needs.

Related Characters

Component: 一

Component: 广

Component: 𭕄

应