Meaning of 适应
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to adapt
- to fit
- to suit
How to use 适应
适应 usually takes an object like a new environment, climate, job or life, and often appears with 慢慢 (mànmàn) or 还不 (hái bù). Example: 我还不适应这里的天气。(Wǒ hái bù shìyìng zhèlǐ de tiānqì.) I'm still not used to the weather here.
适 (shì) means to fit or suit, as in 合适 (héshì), and 应 (yìng) means to respond, as in 反应 (fǎnyìng). To 适应 is to respond to something until you fit it.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 适应 with 适合 (shìhé). 适合 means something suits you, as in 这件衣服适合你, while 适应 means you adjust to something, so 我适应新工作 is correct but 这件衣服适应你 is wrong. Also note that 应 is fourth tone yìng here, not first tone yīng as in 应该 (yīnggāi).
适应 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
适 shì · match · 9 strokes
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- 9
应 yīng · to agree · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 适应.
| 应该 | yīnggāi | ought to; should; must |
| 答应 | dāying | to answer; to respond; to answer positively; to agree; to accept; to promise |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; fitting; appropriate |
| 适合 | shìhé | to fit; to suit |
| 反应 | fǎnyìng | to react; to respond |
| 应当 | yīngdāng | should; ought to |
| 适用 | shìyòng | to be applicable |
| 应用 | yìngyòng | to put to use; to apply; practical; applied (science, linguistics etc) |
| 舒适 | shūshì | cozy; snug |
| 供应 | gōngyìng | to supply; to provide (goods, services etc) |
| 相应 | xiāngyìng | to correspond; answering (one another) |
| 对应 | duìyìng | to correspond (to); to be equivalent to; to be a counterpart to |
Questions about 适应
What does 适应 mean?
适应 (shìyìng) means "to adapt; to fit" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 适应?
适应 is made of 2 characters: 适 (9 strokes), 应 (7 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 适应 an HSK word?
Yes. 适应 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 适应 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 适应 is written 適應.
Can 适应 be used as a noun?
Yes. It can act like a noun in phrases such as 适应能力 (shìyìng nénglì), adaptability, or 需要一段时间的适应, meaning it takes a period of adjustment.
How do I say 'get used to' in Chinese besides 适应?
You can also use 习惯 (xíguàn), as in 我习惯了 (wǒ xíguàn le). 习惯 stresses habit and familiarity, while 适应 stresses adjusting to new conditions.