Meaning of 配
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to join
- to fit
- to mate
- to mix
- to match
- to deserve
- to make up (a prescription)
- to allocate
How to use 配
配 often means to match or pair things that go well together, and it appears in many common words like 搭配 (dāpèi) and 分配 (fēnpèi). It can also mean to deserve, often in the pattern 配 + noun or verb. Example: 这件衬衫配这条裤子很好看。(Zhè jiàn chènshān pèi zhè tiáo kùzi hěn hǎokàn.) This shirt goes well with these pants.
On the left is 酉 (yǒu), a wine jar, and on the right is 己 (jǐ), oneself. Picture yourself standing next to the wine jar, mixing drinks so the flavors match, which links to the senses of mixing and matching.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 已 (yǐ) or 巳 (sì) instead of 己 (jǐ). In 配, the bottom-left stroke of the right part stays open at the top, just like in 己.
配 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.
配 pèi · to join · 10 strokes
- 1
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- 3
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- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 配.
| 配合 | pèihé | matching; fitting in with |
| 分配 | fēnpèi | to distribute; to assign |
| 支配 | zhīpèi | to control; to dominate |
| 配备 | pèibèi | to allocate; to provide |
| 配套 | pèitào | to form a complete set; compatible |
| 搭配 | dāpèi | to pair up; to match |
| 配置 | pèizhì | to deploy; to allocate |
| 匹配 | pǐpèi | to mate or marry; to match |
| 配偶 | pèi'ǒu | spouse |
| 配音 | pèiyīn | dubbing (filmmaking) |
| 配件 | pèijiàn | component; part |
| 配送 | pèisòng | to put together an order and deliver it (i.e. 配貨|配货[pei4 huo4] and 送貨|送货[song4 huo4]); to |
Questions about 配
What does 配 mean?
配 (pèi) means "to join; to fit" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 配?
配 is made of 1 character: 配 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 配 an HSK word?
Yes. 配 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you use 配 to mean 'deserve' in Chinese?
Put 配 before what someone is worthy of, often in the negative: 他不配当老师。(Tā bú pèi dāng lǎoshī.) He doesn't deserve to be a teacher. This usage can sound strong or critical, so use it with care.
What is the difference between 配合 and 搭配?
配合 (pèihé) is usually about people cooperating or working in coordination, as in 请配合我们的工作 (please cooperate with our work). 搭配 (dāpèi) is about pairing things that match, like clothes, colors, or words that go together.