絕對

See also: 絶対 and 绝对

Chinese

		cut short; extinct; to disappear cut short; extinct; to disappear; to vanish; absolutely; by no means	couple; pair; to be opposite couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for; to; correct (answer); to answer; to reply; to direct (towards something); right
trad. (絕對)		絕	對
simp. (绝对)		绝	对

Etymology

“absolute duilian/couplet”: 絕 / 绝 (jué, “to discontinue; to exhaust; matchless”) +‎ 對 / 对 (duì, “duilian; couplet”). Possibly pun on other senses.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): juéduì

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄉㄨㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zyut⁶ deoi³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chhie̍t-tui

(Hailu, HRS): cied^ˋ dui^ˇ

(Meixian, Guangdong): qiêd⁶ dui⁴
Eastern Min (BUC): ciŏk-dó̤i
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zoeh⁷ dui⁴ / zyoeh⁷ dui⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): choa̍t-tùi

(Teochew, Peng'im): zoh⁸ dui³
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁸zhiq-te

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: juéduì
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄉㄨㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jyuéduèi
  - Wade–Giles: chüeh²-tui⁴
  - Yale: jywé-dwèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyueduey
  - Palladius: цзюэдуй (czjueduj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ tu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zyut⁶ deoi³
  - Yale: jyuht deui
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzyt⁹ doey³
  - Guangdong Romanization: jud⁶ dêu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syːt̚² tɵy̯³³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhie̍t-tui
  - Hakka Romanization System: qied dui
  - Hagfa Pinyim: qiad⁶ dui⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰi̯et̚⁵ tu̯i⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: cied^ˋ dui^ˇ
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰiet² tui¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: qiêd⁶ dui⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ɕʰiɛt̚⁵ tuɪ⁵³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ciŏk-dó̤i
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡suoʔ⁵⁻²¹ tɔy²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zoeh⁷ dui⁴
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ce̤̍h-du̍i
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sœʔ⁴ tui⁴²/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zyoeh⁷ dui⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syøʔ⁴ tui⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: choa̍t-tùi
  - Tâi-lô: tsua̍t-tuì
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zoadduix
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡suat̚²⁴⁻² tui⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡suat̚¹²¹⁻²¹ tui²¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Singapore): /t͡suat̚⁴³⁻²¹ tui²¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /t͡suat̚⁴⁻³² tui²¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: zoh⁸ dui³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tso̍h tùi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡soʔ⁴⁻² tui²¹³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁸zhiq-te
  - MiniDict: zhih^入 te
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵xxiq-te
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ʑiɪʔ¹¹ te²³/

Adjective

絕對

(attributive) absolute (as opposed to relative); total; unconditional

Antonyms

相對／相对 (xiāngduì)

Adverb

絕對

absolutely; totally; unconditionally; definitely
他的技術水平絕對不在專家之下。 [MSC, trad.]
他的技术水平绝对不在专家之下。 [MSC, simp.]
Tā de jìshù shuǐpíng juéduì bù zài zhuānjiā zhīxià. [Pinyin]
His technical skill is definitely not inferior to that of a specialist.

我們承諾保證您的信息絕對保密。 [MSC, trad.]
我们承诺保证您的信息绝对保密。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒmen chéngnuò bǎozhèng nín de xìnxī juéduì bǎomì. [Pinyin]
We promise to keep your information absolutely confidential.

Synonyms

絕／绝 (jué)
千萬／千万 (qiānwàn)
萬萬／万万 (wànwàn)
(Cantonese) 千祈 (cin1 kei4)
(Zhangzhou Hokkien) 千千 (sian-sian)

Noun

絕對

Examples

南通州，北通州，南北通州通南北。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

From: Qianlong Emperor

Nán tōngzhōu, běi tōngzhōu, nánběi tōngzhōu tōng nánběi. [Pinyin]

Northern Tongzhou, Southern Tongzhou, these Tongzhous connect the north and south.

(literally, “South Tongzhou, North Tongzhou, South-North Tongzhou connects south and north.”)

When assigned, it was matched as

東當鋪，西當鋪，東西當鋪當東西。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

东当铺，西当铺，东西当铺当东西。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Ji Yun

Dōng dāngpū, xī dāngpū, dōngxī dāngpū dāng dōngxī. [Pinyin]

Eastern pawnshops, Western pawnshops, those pawnshops take in all sorts of stuff.

(literally, “East pawnshop, West pawnshop, East-West pawnshop pawns east-west.”)

Matching featuresː Each line consists of four characters on relevant positions. Except for the last two characters, part of speech of each corresponding word matches. The 平仄 is completely inverse.

Non-matching featuresː The non-pun 南北 (nánběi) is matched with the pun 東西／东西 (dōngxī). 南北 (nánběi) means south and north directions and regions, but the corresponding word 東西／东西 (dōngxī) is ambiguous by the first one meaning east and west while the another thing or stuff.

(rhetoric, chiefly Chinese linguistics) a duilian line (usually the first line of a pair) that is notoriously difficult to match with a suitable second line, due to its complex wordplay, erudite allusions, or strict formal constraints; duilian that is extremely difficult, or seemingly impossible, to match with a fitting counterpart; absolute couplet; perplexing couplet; unmatchable couplet
- 北京師範大學終身特聘教授、著名詩人歐陽江河對一等獎作品進行了解讀，表示這是「多年難遇的絕對」，當他得知這副對聯出自學生之手時，感到十分震驚。 [MSC, trad.]
  北京师范大学终身特聘教授、著名诗人欧阳江河对一等奖作品进行了解读，表示这是「多年难遇的绝对」，当他得知这副对联出自学生之手时，感到十分震惊。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2025 October 21, [1]
  Běijīngshīfàndàxué zhōngshēn tèpìn jiàoshòu, zhùmíng shīrén Ōuyáng Jiānghé duì yīděngjiǎng zuòpǐn jìnxíng le jiědú, biǎoshì zhè shì “duōnián nán yù de juéduì”, dāng tā dézhī zhè fù duìlián chūzì xuéshēng zhī shǒu shí, gǎndào shífēn zhènjīng. [Pinyin]
  Ouyang Jianghe, a renowned poet and Lifetime Distinguished Professor at Beijing Normal University, analyzed the first-prize work, describing it as "an absolute duilian rarely seen in years". He expressed great astonishment upon learning that this duilian was penned by a student.

Synonyms

(emphasise history) 千古絕對／千古绝对 (qiāngǔ juéduì)

Hypernyms

對聯／对联 (duìlián)

Derived terms

絕對主義 / 绝对主义 (juéduìzhǔyì)
絕對值 / 绝对值 (juéduìzhí)
絕對分詞子句 / 绝对分词子句 (juéduì fēncí zǐjù)
絕對化 / 绝对化
絕對星等 / 绝对星等 (juéduì xīngděng)
絕對格 / 绝对格
絕對溫標 / 绝对温标
絕對濕度 / 绝对湿度
絕對真理 / 绝对真理 (juéduì zhēnlǐ)
絕對零度 / 绝对零度 (juéduì língdù)
絕對音感 / 绝对音感 (juéduìyīngǎn)
絕對領域 / 绝对领域 (juéduì lǐngyù)
絕對高度 / 绝对高度

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (絕對):

→ Japanese: 絶対(ぜったい) (zettai)
→ Korean: 절대(絕對) (jeoldae)
→ Vietnamese: tuyệt đối (絕對)

References

“絕對”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
絕	對
ぜつ > ぜっ Hyōgai	たい Hyōgai
goon

For pronunciation and definitions of 絕對 – see the following entry.

【絶対ぜったい】

[adjective] absolute, limitless

[adjective] certain, definite

[adverb] absolutely, definitely, certainly

[noun] absoluteness, an absolute, unlimitedness

Alternative spelling
絶待

(This term, 絕對, is the kyūjitai of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
絕	對

Adverb

絕對 • (jeoldae) (hangeul 절대)

alternative form of 絶對

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
絕	對

Adjective

絕對

chữ Hán form of tuyệt đối (“absolute”)