對

See also: 对 and 対

Translingual

Stroke order

Traditional	對
Shinjitai	対
Simplified	对

Han character

對 (Kangxi radical 41, 寸+11, 14 strokes, cangjie input 廿土木戈 (TGDI), four-corner 3410₀, composition ⿰⿱业𦍌寸)

Derived characters

• 𠏮, 嚉, 㠚, 㦠, 𢷮, 濧, 㬣, 襨, 譵, 轛, 鑆, 薱, 䨴, 懟, 𨮝

Related characters

• 対 (Japanese shinjitai)
• 对 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 296, character 7
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7457
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 511, character 9
• Unihan data for U+5C0D

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Chinese

trad.		對
simp.		对

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 對
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (對) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
對	*tuːbs
轛	*tuːbs, *tubs
薱	*duːbs
濧	*duːbs
懟	*dubs

In the oracle bone and bronze scripts, it was an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 丵 (“tool for digging”) + 土 (“earth”) + 又 (“hand”). The original meaning of the character is unclear, but it may be “to develop (land)”. It was later borrowed for “to reply”. Compare 封, 邦.

In the seal script, 又 has become the related 寸. Shuowen has two seal script forms for this character: 𡭊 (main form) and 對 (alternative form). The main form, which has a 口 (“mouth”), was probably created to specialize the character to signify “to reply”, but this form was not inherited in later scripts. Shuowen interprets the latter form (shown above) as a form that Emperor Wen of Han created by replacing 口 with 士 (“soldier; warrior”) because many of the replies were untruthful (just lip service), but it is more likely that 士 is a corruption of 土.

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 對

1. correct; true; right

   你說對了。／你说对了。  ―  Nǐ shuō duì le.  ―  You're right.

2. towards; to

   對身體好／对身体好  ―  duì shēntǐ hǎo  ―  good for the body

   你對什麼藥物過敏嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   你对什么药物过敏吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ duì shénme yàowù guòmǐn ma? [Pinyin]

   Are you allergic to any medications?

   佢對噉嘅嘢冇咩興趣嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   佢对噉嘅嘢冇咩兴趣嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   keoi⁵ deoi³ gam² ge³ je⁵ mou⁵ me¹ hing³ ceoi³ ge³. [Jyutping]

   He doesn't have interest in that sort of thing.

   • 1982, “難忘您”, in (deprecated template usage) 許冠傑 (lyrics), 難忘您·紙船, performed by (deprecated template usage) 許冠傑:

     難忘妳對我那種體貼入微　時時刻刻腦海中都緊記 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     难忘你对我那种体贴入微　时时刻刻脑海中都紧记 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     naan⁴ mong⁴ nei⁵ deoi³ ngo⁵ naa⁵ zung² tai² tip³ jap⁶ mei⁴, si⁴ si⁴ hak¹ hak¹ nou⁵ hoi² zung¹ dou¹ gan² gei³ [Jyutping]

     I can't forget that attention you gave me; it's still stuck fast in my mind all the time

3. to treat

   你為什麼對他那麼好？ [MSC, trad.]
   你为什么对他那么好？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ wèishénme duì tā nàme hǎo? [Pinyin]

   Why do you treat him so well?

4. paired; contrasting

   對照／对照  ―  duìzhào  ―  a comparison; to contrast

   中日對譯／中日对译  ―  zhōngrì duìyì  ―  Chinese-Japanese bilingual text

5. to match

   對不上／对不上  ―  duì bùshàng  ―  does not match

6. to respond; to answer
7. to check; to verify

   對賬／对账  ―  duìzhàng  ―  to check bills

8. Classifier for pairs of objects: pair

   兩對鞋／两对鞋 [Cantonese]  ―  loeng⁵ deoi³ haai⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  two pairs of shoes

9. according to

   對她來說／对她来说  ―  duì tā láishuō  ―  according to her

   對我嚟講／对我嚟讲 [Cantonese]  ―  deoi³ ngo⁵ lei⁴ gong² [Jyutping]  ―  according to me

10. versus; vs.
11. (Southern Min) from

    我對基隆來／我对基隆来 [Hokkien]  ―  góa tùi Ke-lâng lâi [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  I come from Keelung

Synonyms

• (correct): 不錯／不错 (bùcuò), 沒錯／没错 (méicuò), (Cantonese) 冇錯／冇错

Dialectal synonyms of 對 (“correct”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		是
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		正確
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	對
	Taiwan	對
	Malaysia	對
	Singapore	對
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	對
	Jinan	對
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	對
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	對
	Xi'an	對
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	對
	Ürümqi	對
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	對
	Wuhan	對
	Guiyang	對
	Guilin	對
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	對
	Hefei	對
Cantonese	Guangzhou	啱
	Hong Kong	啱
	Taishan	啱
	Yangjiang	著, 啱
	Yangjiang (Yangdong)	啱, 著
	Yangdong (Yashao)	啱, 對, 著
	Yangxi	啱
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	啱
	Singapore (Guangfu)	啱
Gan	Nanchang	對
	Lichuan	對
Hakka	Meixian	著, 啱
	Xingning	著
	Huidong (Daling)	著
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	著
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	著
	Changting	著
	Wuping	著
	Wuping (Pingyu)	著
	Liancheng	著
	Ninghua	著
	Ruijin	著
	Shicheng	著
	Shangyou (Shexi)	著
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	著
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	著
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	著
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	著
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	著
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	著
	Kuching (Hepo)	著
Huizhou	Jixi	對
Jin	Taiyuan	對
	Xinzhou	對
Northern Min	Jian'ou	對, 𣍐錯
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	著, 無綻
Southern Min	Xiamen	著
	Quanzhou	著
	Zhangzhou	著
	Zhao'an	著
	Taipei	著
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	著
	Kaohsiung	著
	Yilan	著
	Changhua (Lukang)	著
	Taichung	著
	Tainan	著
	Hsinchu	著
	Kinmen	著
	Penghu (Magong)	著
	Penang (Hokkien)	著
	Singapore (Hokkien)	著
	Manila (Hokkien)	著
	Chaozhou	著
	Shantou	對, 著
	Jieyang	對, 著
	Singapore (Teochew)	著
	Batam (Teochew)	著
	Wenchang	著
	Haikou	著
	Qionghai	著
	Singapore (Hainanese)	著
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	啱
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	對
Wu	Shanghai	對
	Suzhou	對
	Danyang	對
	Hangzhou	對
	Ningbo	𣍐錯, 對
	Wenzhou	對
	Jinhua	對
Xiang	Changsha	對
	Shuangfeng	對, 是

Antonyms

• (correct): 錯／错 (cuò, “wrong; error/fault”)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (對):

• → Japanese: 対(たい) (tai); 対(つい) (tsui)
• → Korean: 대(對) (dae)
• → Vietnamese: đối (對)

Others:

• → Ai-Cham: toi⁵

Further reading

• “Entry #10475”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Shinjitai	対
Kyūjitai	對

Kanji

對

(Hyōgai kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 対)

1. correct, right
2. facing, opposed

Readings

• Go-on: たい (tai)
• Kan-on: たい (tai)
• Tō-on: つい (tsui)^{←つゐ (twi, historical)}
• Kun: あいて (aite, 對)^{←あひて (afite, 對, historical)}; こたえる (kotaeru, 對える)^{←こたへる (kotaferu, 對へる, historical)}; そろい (soroi, 對い)^{←そろひ (sorofi, 對ひ, historical)}; つれあい (tsureai, 對い)^{←つれあひ (tureafi, 對ひ, historical)}; ならぶ (narabu, 對ぶ); むかう (mukau, 對かう)^{←むかふ (mukafu, 對かふ, historical)}
• Nanori: つし (tsushi)

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Korean

Alternative forms

• 対 (대 (dae))

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 對 (MC twojH). Recorded as Middle Korean ᄃᆡ〯 (tǒy) (Yale: toy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource

對 (eumhun 대할 대 (daehal dae))

1. hanja form^? of 대 (“to answer; to reply”)
2. hanja form^? of 대 (“to face; to confront”)
3. hanja form^? of 대 (“opponent; counterpart”)
4. hanja form^? of 대 (“opposite; contrasting”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 대가 (對價, daega)
• 대각 (對角, daegak)
• 대강 (對講, daegang)
• 대객 (對客, daegaek)
• 대격 (對格, daegyeok)
• 대견 (對見, daegyeon)
• 대결 (對決, daegyeol)
• 대경 (對境, daegyeong)
• 대공 (對共, daegong)
• 대공 (對空, daegong)
• 대교 (對校, daegyo)
• 대구 (對句, daegu)
• 대국 (對局, daeguk)
• 대극 (對極, daegeuk)
• 대기 (對機, daegi)
• 대남 (對南, daenam)
• 대내 (對內, daenae)
• 대담 (對談, daedam)
• 대답 (對答, daedap)
• 대두 (對頭, daedu)
• 대등 (對等, daedeung)
• 대련 (對聯, daeryeon)
• 대련 (對鍊, daeryeon)
• 대례 (對禮, daerye)
• 대론 (對論, daeron)
• 대류 (對流, daeryu)
• 대리 (對理, daeri)
• 대립 (對立, daerip)
• 대면 (對面, daemyeon)
• 대무 (對舞, daemu)
• 대물 (對物, daemul)
• 대미 (對美, daemi)
• 대변 (對辨, daebyeon)
• 대변 (對辯, daebyeon)
• 대변 (對邊, daebyeon)
• 대북 (對北, daebuk)
• 대비 (對備, daebi)
• 대비 (對比, daebi)
• 대상 (對象, daesang)
• 대생 (對生, daesaeng)
• 대석 (對席, daeseok)
• 대석 (對石, daeseok)
• 대소 (對訴, daeso)
• 대수 (對手, daesu)
• 대수 (對數, daesu)
• 대식 (對食, daesik)
• 대심 (對審, daesim)
• 대안 (對案, daean)
• 대안 (對顔, daean)
• 대양 (對揚, daeyang)
• 대어 (對語, daeeo)
• 대언 (對言, daeeon)
• 대역 (對譯, daeyeok)
• 대역 (對驛, daeyeok)
• 대영 (對英, daeyeong)
• 대외 (對外, dae'oe)
• 대우 (對偶, dae'u)
• 대음 (對飮, daeeum)
• 대응 (對應, daeeung)
• 대의 (對義, dae'ui)
• 대인 (對人, daein)
• 대일 (對日, daeil)
• 대작 (對酌, daejak)
• 대적 (對敵, daejeok)
• 대전 (對戰, daejeon)
• 대점 (對點, daejeom)
• 대조 (對照, daejo)
• 대좌 (對坐, daejwa)
• 대좌 (對座, daejwa)
• 대중 (對中, daejung)
• 대증 (對症, daejeung)
• 대증 (對證, daejeung)
• 대지 (對地, daeji)
• 대지 (對持, daeji)
• 대진 (對陳, daejin)
• 대질 (對質, daejil)
• 대창 (對唱, daechang)
• 대책 (對策, daechaek)
• 대처 (對處, daecheo)
• 대척 (對蹠, daecheok)
• 대체 (對替, daeche)
• 대충 (對沖, daechung)
• 대치 (對峙, daechi)
• 대치 (對置, daechi)
• 대칭 (對稱, daeching)
• 대폭 (對幅, daepok)
• 대한 (對韓, daehan)
• 대항 (對抗, daehang)
• 대향 (對向, daehyang)
• 대화 (對話, daehwa)
• 감대 (監對, gamdae)
• 면대 (面對, myeondae)
• 반대 (反對, bandae)
• 변대 (辨對, byeondae)
• 빈대 (賓對, bindae)
• 상대 (相對, sangdae)
• 쌍대 (雙對, ssangdae)
• 안대 (案對, andae)
• 역대 (力對, yeokdae)
• 우대 (偶對, udae)
• 윤대 (輪對, yundae)
• 응대 (應對, eungdae)
• 일대 (一對, ildae)
• 적대 (敵對, jeokdae)
• 절대 (絕對, jeoldae)
• 접대 (接對, jeopdae)
• 대공전 (對空戰, daegongjeon)
• 대공포 (對空砲, daegongpo)
• 대구법 (對句法, daegubeop)
• 대내적 (對內的, daenaejeok)
• 대등법 (對等法, daedeungbeop)
• 대등형 (對等形, daedeunghyeong)
• 대류권 (對流圈, daeryugwon)
• 대립적 (對立的, daeripjeok)
• 대물경 (對物鏡, daemulgyeong)
• 대비책 (對備策, daebichaek)
• 대상물 (對象物, daesangmul)
• 대상자 (對象者, daesangja)
• 대상지 (對象地, daesangji)
• 대수표 (對數表, daesupyo)
• 대외비 (對外秘, dae'oebi)
• 대외적 (對外的, dae'oejeok)
• 대우법 (對偶法, dae'ubeop)
• 대위법 (對位法, daewibeop)
• 대응각 (對應角, daeeunggak)
• 대응점 (對應點, daeeungjeom)
• 대응책 (對應策, daeeungchaek)
• 대전료 (對戰料, daejeollyo)
• 대전표 (對戰表, daejeonpyo)
• 대조법 (對照法, daejobeop)
• 대조적 (對照的, daejojeok)
• 대진표 (對陳表, daejinpyo)
• 대척자 (對蹠者, daecheokja)
• 대척적 (對蹠的, daecheokjeok)
• 대척점 (對蹠點, daecheokjeom)
• 대칭률 (對稱律, daechingnyul)
• 대칭적 (對稱的, daechingjeok)
• 대칭축 (對稱軸, daechingchuk)
• 대화문 (對話文, daehwamun)
• 대화방 (對話房, daehwabang)
• 대화자 (對話者, daehwaja)
• 대화체 (對話體, daehwache)
• 내대각 (內對角, naedaegak)
• 비대칭 (非對稱, bidaeching)
• 선대칭 (線對稱, seondaeching)
• 역대응 (逆對應, yeokdaeeung)
• 일대일 (一對一, ildaeil)
• 점대칭 (點對稱, jeomdaeching)
• 대외관계 (對外關係, dae'oegwan'gye)
• 대외무역 (對外貿易, dae'oemuyeok)
• 대인관계 (對人關係, daein'gwan'gye)
• 대전차포 (對戰車砲, daejeonchapo)
• 동시대비 (同時對比, dongsidaebi)
• 삼자대면 (三者對面, samjadaemyeon)
• 대차대조표 (貸借對照表, daechadaejopyo)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 對 (đỗi, dối, đôi, đối, nhói, tối, tụi)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.