待

dāi, dài

寺 + 彳

HSK 3.0Level 4

Definitions

dài (verb) to wait; to stay

dài (verb) to treat; to deal with

dài (adverb) about to; going to

dāi (verb) to stay

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 彳 represents the meaning and 寺 represents the sound.

About

待 is a phono-semantic compound. The left side 彳, the "step" radical, typically appears in characters linked to movement, human behavior, or physical action. The right side 寺 (meaning "temple" on its own) here functions only as a phonetic, without contributing meaning. The character's core sense originally was to wait, pause one's movement, or stay in a location for a time. This physical notion later extended to social interactions, encompassing the ways one treats others, handles affairs, and hosts or receives guests.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请等待一下。

Qǐng děngdài yīxià.

Please wait a moment.

他在家待了一天。

Tā zài jiā dàile yī tiān.

He stayed at home for a day.

她对待客人很热情。

Tā duìdài kèrén hěn rèqíng.

She treats guests very warmly.

我们期待你的到来。

Wǒmen qīdài nǐ de dàolái.

We look forward to your arrival.

这款产品有待改进。

Zhè kuǎn chǎnpǐn yǒudài gǎijìn.

This product needs improvement.

他待人非常友好。

Tā dàirén fēicháng yǒuhǎo.

He treats people very friendly.

由于天气原因，比赛有待延期。

Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, bǐsài yǒudài yánqī.

Due to weather reasons, the match needs to be postponed.

在待业期间，他学习了许多新技能。

Zài dàiyè qījiān, tā xuéxíle xǔduō xīn jìnéng.

During his unemployment, he learned many new skills.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 寺

Component: 彳

待