對

Translingual

Stroke order

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, 𨘗, 㬣, 𣝉, 襨, 𦆹, 譵, 𨆷, 轛, 鑆, 𣌒, 𩟡, 𩼷, 薱, 䨴, 𤻫, 懟, 𨮝, 𩼸

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

Chinese

Glyph origin

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

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.

Etymology

Exoactive of 答 (OC *tkuːb, “to reply; to answer”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Definitions

對

1. correct; true; right

   對啊！／对啊！  ―  Duì a!  ―  Correct!

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

   Synonyms: 不錯／不错 (bùcuò), 沒錯／没错 (méicuò), 冇錯／冇错 (mou⁵ co³) (Cantonese)

   Antonym: 錯／错

2. to treat; to deal with; to take on

   對症下藥／对症下药  ―  duìzhèngxiàyào  ―  to prescribe the right medicine for an illness

   對事不對人／对事不对人  ―  duì shì bù duì rén  ―  to concern oneself with acts and not with individuals (when settling an issue)

   你怎麼對人家，人家就怎麼對你。 [MSC, trad.]
   你怎么对人家，人家就怎么对你。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ zěnme duì rénjiā, rénjiā jiù zěnme duì nǐ.

   Others treat you the way you treat them.

   刀對刀，槍對槍／刀对刀，枪对枪  ―  dāo duì dāo, qiāng duì qiāng  ―  sword against sword; spear against spear

   廣東隊對香港隊／广东队对香港队  ―  Guǎngdōng duì duì Xiānggǎng duì  ―  Guangdong competes against Hong Kong

3. (introducing the recipient of the action) towards; to

   Synonym: 向 (xiàng)

   你對他說了些什麼？ [MSC, trad.]
   你对他说了些什么？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ duì tā shuō le xiē shénme?

   What did you say to him?

   從不對困難低頭／从不对困难低头  ―  cóng bù duì kùnnán dītóu  ―  to never yield to difficulties

4. to; with regard to; concerning

   大家對你完全信任。 [MSC, trad.]
   大家对你完全信任。 [MSC, simp.]

   Dàjiā duì nǐ wánquán xìnrèn.

   Everyone has complete faith in you.

   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?

   Why do you treat him so well?

   多吃蔬菜對身體好。 [MSC, trad.]
   多吃蔬菜对身体好。 [MSC, simp.]

   Duō chī shūcài duì shēntǐ hǎo.

   Eating more vegetables is 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?

   Are you allergic to any medications?

   你對這件事有什麼看法？ [MSC, trad.]
   你对这件事有什么看法？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ duì zhè jiàn shì yǒu shénme kànfǎ?

   What are your views on this issue?

   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.

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

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

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

5. according to; for

   這個成績對我來說已經很好了。 [MSC, trad.]
   这个成绩对我来说已经很好了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè ge chéngjì duì wǒ lái shuō yǐjīng hěn hǎo le.

   For me, this result is already very good.

6. opposite; opposing

   對岸／对岸  ―  duì'àn  ―  opposite bank; opposite shore

   對方／对方  ―  duìfāng  ―  other party

   對手／对手  ―  duìshǒu  ―  opponent

7. to face

   對著鏡子微笑／对着镜子微笑  ―  duì zhe jìngzǐ wēixiào  ―  to smile at the mirror

   窗戶對著馬路。 [MSC, trad.]
   窗户对着马路。 [MSC, simp.]

   Chuānghù duì zhe mǎlù.

   The window faces the road.

   把槍口對準敵人／把枪口对准敌人  ―  bǎ qiāngkǒu duìzhǔn dírén  ―  to aim the gun at the enemy

8. paired; contrasting

   對調／对调  ―  duìdiào  ―  to swap

   對立／对立  ―  duìlì  ―  to be in opposition to

   對照／对照  ―  duìzhào  ―  a comparison; to contrast

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

9. to suit; to fit

   對心思／对心思  ―  duì xīnsī  ―  to think the same

10. to match; to cause two things to match

    對對子／对对子  ―  duì duìzǐ  ―  to match an antithetical phrase

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

11. to respond; to answer

    無言以對／无言以对  ―  wúyányǐduì  ―  to be left speechless; to be unable to respond

    • 冉子退朝。子曰：「何晏也？」對曰：「有政。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
      冉子退朝。子曰：「何晏也？」对曰：「有政。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

      From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

      Rǎnzǐ tuìcháo. Zǐ yuē: “Hé yàn yě?” Duì yuē: “Yǒu zhèng.”

      The disciple Ran returning from the court, the Master said to him, "How are you so late?" He replied, "We had government business."

12. to check by comparing; to verify by comparing

    對答案／对答案  ―  duì dá'àn  ―  to check answers

    對筆跡／对笔迹  ―  duì bǐjì  ―  to compare signatures

    對賬／对账  ―  duìzhàng  ―  to check bills

13. to adjust; to set
14. to mix; to add

    • 二哥正跟小六兒往酒裡對水。為省錢，他打了很少的酒，所以得設法使這一點酒取之不盡，用之不竭。 [MSC, trad.]
      二哥正跟小六儿往酒里对水。为省钱，他打了很少的酒，所以得设法使这一点酒取之不尽，用之不竭。 [MSC, simp.]

      From: 1960s , Lao She, 正紅旗下, Beijing: 北京联合出版公司, →ISBN, p. 59

      Èrgē zhèng gēn xiǎo liùr wǎng jiǔ lǐ duì shuǐ. Wèi shěngqián, tā dǎ le hěn shào de jiǔ, suǒyǐ děi shèfǎ shǐ zhè yīdiǎn jiǔ qǔzhībùjìn, yòngzhībùjié.

      (please add an English translation of this usage example)

15. to divide in half
16. couplet

    流水對／流水对  ―  liúshuǐduì  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

17. Classifier for pairs of objects: pair

    一對夫婦／一对夫妇  ―  yī duì fūfù  ―  a couple

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

    一對燕子／一对燕子  ―  yī duì yànzi  ―  a pair of swallows

18. pair

    鍵值對／键值对  ―  jiànzhíduì  ―  key-value pair

    密鑰對／密钥对  ―  mìyàoduì  ―  keypair

    鹼基對／碱基对  ―  jiǎnjīduì  ―  base pair

19. (Southern Min, Taiwanese Hakka) from

    我對基隆來。 [Hokkien, trad.]
    我对基隆来。 [Hokkien, simp.]

    Góa tùi Ke-lâng lâi. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

    I come from Keelung.

    • 2001, “家後”, 鄭進一, 陳維祥 (lyrics)‎performed by 江蕙 [Jody Chiang]:

      阮將青春嫁置恁兜　阮對少年跟你跟甲老 [Hokkien, trad.]
      阮将青春嫁置恁兜　阮对少年跟你跟甲老 [Hokkien, simp.]

      Gún chiong chheng-chhun kè tī lín tau, Gún tùi siàu-liân tòe lí tòe kah lāu [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

      I married my youthfulness to you; I followed you from my youth till I'm old.

    • 2019 December 13, “徙”, 陳美燕 [Mei-Yen Chen], 邱廉欽 [Kim Chiu], Uncle Willow, Regina Grounded (lyrics), 邱廉欽 [Kim Chiu] and 賴威成 [Andres Lai] (music)‎performed by 愛客樂 [iColor]:

      你對哪位來？對山肚　對窩壢靚靚客家莊 [Hailu Hakka, trad.]
      你对哪位来？对山肚　对窝坜靓靓客家庄 [Hailu Hakka, simp.]

      ngi duiˇ nai⁺ vui⁺ loi? duiˇ san` du´, duiˇ vo` lag ziang` ziang` hag ga` zong` [Taiwanese Hakka Romanization System]

      Where do you come from? From the mountains, from the pretty Hakka village in the valley

20. a surname

Synonyms

• (pair): (Cantonese) 啤 (pe1)

Compounds

Descendants

Others:

• → Ai-Cham: toi⁵
• → Vietnamese: đôi (“double”)
• → Old Turkic: tāy (“pair , side”)
  • → Azerbaijani: tay
  • → Turkmen: taý

Further reading

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

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “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)

Korean

Alternative forms

• 対

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 對 (MC twojH).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): ~
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

對

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 (“to be about; to concern”).
4. Hanja form^? of 대 (“pair; contrasting pair”).
5. Hanja form^? of 대 (“versus”).
6. Hanja form^? of 대 (“opponent; counterpart; opposite; contrasting”).

Compounds