待 meaning and stroke order
To stay; to remain
How to write 待, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 待
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to stay; to remain
- to wait
- to treat
- to deal with
- to need
- going to (do sth)
- about to
How 待 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To welcome someone arriving 彳 at the royal court 寺.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 待
The left part 彳 shows someone walking, and 寺 was a royal court. Picture a guest walking up to the court and waiting to be received, which links the two meanings: to wait and to treat or host someone.
In the dài reading it appears mostly in words like 等待 (děngdài, to wait), 对待 (duìdài, to treat) and 接待 (jiēdài, to receive guests). In the dāi reading it means to stay somewhere, often in speech: 我在家待了一天。(Wǒ zài jiā dāi le yì tiān.) I stayed at home all day.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 待 with 特 (tè, special) and 持 (chí, to hold), which share the 寺 part. Check the left side: 彳 for 待, 牛 for 特, 扌 for 持.
Common words with 待
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 等待 | děngdài | to wait; to wait for | HSK 3 |
| 对待 | duìdài | to treat; treatment | HSK 3 |
| 接待 | jiēdài | to receive; to entertain; to host (guests, visitors or clients) | HSK 3 |
| 期待 | qīdài | to look forward to; to await | HSK 4 |
| 待遇 | dàiyù | treatment; pay | HSK 4 |
| 看待 | kàndài | to look upon; to regard | HSK 5 |
| 待会儿 | dāihuìr | in a moment; later | HSK 6 |
| 招待 | zhāodài | to hold a reception; to offer hospitality; to entertain (guests); to serve (customers) | HSK 7-9 |
| 虐待 | nüèdài | to mistreat; to maltreat | HSK 7-9 |
| 迫不及待 | pòbùjídài | (idiom) unable to hold oneself back; eager to do sth without delay | HSK 7-9 |
| 招待会 | zhāodàihuì | a reception | HSK 7-9 |
| 有待 | yǒudài | not yet (done); pending | HSK 7-9 |
| 守株待兔 | shǒuzhū-dàitù | lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom); to wait idly for opportunities | HSK 7-9 |
| 待命 | dàimìng | to be on call; to be on standby |
待 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 待
How many strokes are in 待?
待 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 待 mean?
待 (dāi) means to stay; to remain. A common word with it is 等待 (děngdài), meaning "to wait; to wait for".
How do you pronounce 待?
待 has more than one reading: dāi and dài. The most common is dāi, said in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 待?
The radical of 待 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 待 under this radical.
Is 待 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 待 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
When is 待 pronounced dāi instead of dài?
Use dāi when it means to stay or remain somewhere, as in 待在这儿 (dāi zài zhèr, stay here). It is also dāi in the spoken word 待会儿 (dāihuìr, in a moment). Most other words use dài.
What is the difference between 待 (dāi) and 呆 (dāi)?
Both can mean to stay, and you will see 呆在家 as well as 待在家. 呆 also means dull or blank, as in 发呆 (fādāi, to space out), which 待 never means.