贷
Character Story & Explanation
贷 is central to China’s financial system: over 70% of urban households hold some form of bank loan (PBOC 2023 data), and phrases like 信贷 (xìn dài, credit) and 贷款 (dài kuǎn, loan) appear daily in news, WeChat banking interfaces, and mortgage contracts. A well-known idiom is 有借有还，再借不难 (yǒu jiè yǒu huán, zài jiè bù nán) — 'borrow and repay, and borrowing again won’t be hard' — reflecting cultural emphasis on creditworthiness.
The character’s form dates to the Han dynasty clerical script: it combines 广 (a shelter or cover, implying 'extension' or 'provision') with 贝 (shell-money), visually expressing 'providing money'. No oracle-bone form survives, but its structure consistently conveyed lending since at least the 2nd century CE.
Hello students! The character 贷 (dài) means 'to lend on interest' — not just giving something freely, but lending money with the expectation of repayment plus interest. It’s a key term in finance and daily life in China. Notice its radical 贝 (bèi), meaning 'shell', which historically served as ancient Chinese currency — so any character with this radical often relates to money, value, or trade.
This character has 9 strokes and is written top-to-bottom, left-to-right: start with the roof-like 广 (guǎng), then add the ‘shell’ radical at the bottom. Its pronunciation dài is a fourth-tone falling sound — practice saying it sharply, like commanding 'Die!' but with an 'a' as in 'buy'. Don’t confuse it with dài (to wait) or dài (to carry) — tone and context are essential!
At HSK Level 5, 贷 appears in economic discussions, news reports, and official documents. You’ll see it in banks, loan apps, and government policies. Understanding 贷 helps you grasp real-world topics like personal finance, housing loans (房贷), or national debt. It’s not abstract — it’s part of how modern Chinese society manages money, trust, and responsibility.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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