About
The character "应", whose traditional form is "應", originated from a concept of resonant answer or correspondence, structurally combining elements suggesting a building and a bird, later incorporating a heart component to imply an internal or heartfelt response. This composition reflected its early core meanings of "to answer", "to agree to", or "to comply with", centered on the idea of a fitting reply to an external call or situation. Over centuries, its semantic field broadened significantly from this concrete notion of reciprocation to encompass more abstract senses of necessity, as in "ought to" or "should", and suitability, as in something being "appropriate" or "corresponding to" expectations. The modern simplified form "应" retains the essential structural idea of a roof over a core element but streamlines the composition, moving it further from its pictographic origins while maintaining its conceptual link to reactive and anticipatory functions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我应该去学校。
他应了一声。
你应该努力学习。
应用新技术很重要。
他答应明天来。
我们必须适应环境变化。
这项政策应得到广泛支持。
企业应及时响应客户需求。