About
The character "托" has a history that involves the convergence of two distinct forms, with its current simplified version inheriting meanings from both. Its traditional counterpart, 託, is composed of the semantic component 言 (speech) alongside the phonetic element 乇, originally conveying the idea of entrusting something through words, such as a verbal commission or plea. The simpler form 托, which existed historically, combines the hand radical 扌 with the same phonetic, indicating an action performed with the hand, like holding up or supporting an object from below. Over time, the semantic fields of these two characters merged, allowing the simpler "托" to absorb the abstract sense of entrustment and pretext from "託", while retaining its core meaning of physical support, thus creating a single character with a broad range of related applications.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我托他买一本书。
请你托住这个盘子。
她托朋友照顾她的猫。
爸爸把重要文件托付给律师。
在托儿所里，孩子们玩得很开心。
他用托盘端来了咖啡和蛋糕。
由于时间紧迫，我们必须托运行李。
政府托管的资金必须用于公共福利。