(duì) - correct, right; toward; pair in Mandarin
duìTraditional: 對
Translation
correct, right; toward; pair
Test yourself on 对
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Word origin
对 (traditional 對) shows a hand 寸 responding to something, conveying 'to answer, to face, to match', extended to 'correct, right' and the preposition 'toward'. The simplified form keeps the 寸 (hand) element.
- Origin
- ideograph
- Root
- 又/寸 (hand) responding, conveying matching and answering
Stroke order
对
Examples
，。
Right, you are correct.
。
He is very good to me.
。
This answer is not correct.
。
Mum is very patient with the children.
？
How much do you know about China?
对 (duì) functions in multiple grammatical roles: as an adjective meaning "correct" or "right," as a preposition meaning "toward" or "regarding" (对我来说, as for me), and in compounds meaning "a pair" (一对, a couple/pair). As an interjection it confirms what someone has said, equivalent to "right," "correct," or "exactly."
The traditional form 对 shows a hand on the left and a "mound/ancient measure" on the right, originally depicting alignment or matching. This sense of "matching, being correct" remains central. The preposition use - 对你说 (to say to you), 对他好 (to be good to him) - is extremely productive and one of the key grammar patterns learners need to master early.
Where this fits
Appears in 10 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 对.
Used in
Stories
(24)面试
2 min read · Core 5000
天安门在哪儿？
2 min read · Core 5000
在饭馆
2 min read · Core 5000
小宇妈妈
2 min read · Core 1000
错过公交车
3 min read · Core 1000
打电话
3 min read · Core 1000
电影还是公园
3 min read · Core 5000
今天我是校长
3 min read · Core 5000
新邻居
3 min read · Core 1000
新学生
3 min read · Core 5000
端午节在新加坡
4 min read · Core 5000
寒假去台湾
4 min read · Core 5000
兼职面试
4 min read · Core 5000
老样子
4 min read · Core 1000
别人的信
5 min read · Core 5000
错过的火车
5 min read · Core 5000
等了三年
5 min read · Core 5000
后面的字
5 min read · Core 5000
那两分呢？
5 min read · Core 5000
小芳的钥匙
5 min read · Core 5000
三天
5 min read · Core 5000
欢迎再来
5 min read · Core 5000
中间的树
5 min read · Core 5000
走廊上的翻译
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(10)Although in Mandarin: 虽然…还是, 不过 and 还是
对 (duì) in Mandarin: 对…来说, To Someone, and 对…感兴趣
Even Though and Even If in Mandarin: 虽然, 即使, 就算
Chinese Filler Words: 嗯, 那个, 然后, 就是, 其实
Mandarin Greetings and Survival Phrases: Say Something Today
Mandarin Tone Pairs: How to Hear the Tones in Real Words
Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Mandarin Resultative Complements: 看见, 吃完, 找到
Mandarin Yes-No Questions: 吗 (ma), Echo Answers and 呢 (ne)
The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Mandarin · Free printables
对: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "对" (correct, right; toward; pair): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 4: 对, 会, 来 and 7 more words.