HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
to borrow
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
a loan
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
leniency
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
to make excuses
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
to pardon
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
to forgive
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
贷
dài
to borrow; to lend; to pardon
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14561, Medium
dài(dai4) T4
1to lend on interest
2to borrow
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March 24, 2026
贷(貸)dài(dai4)
The character 贷 (dài) primarily means 'to lend' or 'to borrow,' often in the context of financial transactions involving loans with interest. It can also imply leniency or forgiveness, as in making excuses or pardoning someone. This duality makes it useful in both monetary discussions and interpersonal situations.
Strokes9Radical贝Frequency#14561DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, lending and borrowing are often seen as social obligations, where family and friends may lend money without formal contracts. This reflects a strong emphasis on relationships and trust, which is a common theme in Chinese social interactions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a friend who needs to borrow money, and you are lending it to them. Picture the character 贷 as a bridge where 'dai' flows from one person to another. The left side '贷' resembles a hand reaching out to lend, while the right side ‘借’ suggests the act of borrowing. Visualize this scenario to remember its meaning and pronunciation.
Meanings of 贷
dài(dai4)
1to lend on interest
2to borrow
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 贷
贷Simplified
貸Traditional
9Strokes
贝Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#14561Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4
Podcast: 贷
Podcast: 贷
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AI Study Notes for 贷
Quick Contrast
借 (jiè) - use this entry when referring specifically to borrowing, while 贷 (dài) emphasizes the lending aspect.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 贷 (dài) with 借 (jiè), which specifically means 'to borrow.' Remember that 贷 involves a lending aspect, often with an interest component. In formal contexts, 贷 is commonly used in financial discussions, while in informal settings, it can refer to personal loans among friends.
HSK Study Tips
Although 贷 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to financial vocabulary that may appear in HSK 4 and above. Focus on differentiating it from similar words like 借 (jiè) and 学 (xué) to enhance your financial and conversational skills. Understanding context will aid in proper usage.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 贷 when they mean 借, leading to confusion about who is lending and who is borrowing. For example, saying '我想贷钱' (I want to lend money) instead of '我想借钱' (I want to borrow money) is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 贷
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Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 代 represents the sound. Simplified form of 貸.
1The meaning half贝 carries the sense.
2The sound half代 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymoney
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 贷? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 贷?
Decomposition of 贷
IDS Structure⿱代贝
贷Full Character
=
代dai4
top
贝Bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 贷?
How to say to lend on interest in Chinese
“to lend on interest” in Chinese is贷dài
The character 贷 (dài) primarily means 'to lend' or 'to borrow,' often in the context of financial transactions involving loans with interest. It can also imply leniency or forgiveness, as in making excuses or pardoning someone. This duality makes it useful in both monetary discussions and interpersonal situations.
When to use 贷
Learners often confuse 贷 (dài) with 借 (jiè), which specifically means 'to borrow.' Remember that 贷 involves a lending aspect, often with an interest component. In formal contexts, 贷 is commonly used in financial discussions, while in informal settings, it can refer to personal loans among friends.
贷 or something close to it
借 (jiè) - use this entry when referring specifically to borrowing, while 贷 (dài) emphasizes the lending aspect.
What learners get wrong
Learners might mistakenly use 贷 when they mean 借, leading to confusion about who is lending and who is borrowing. For example, saying '我想贷钱' (I want to lend money) instead of '我想借钱' (I want to borrow money) is incorrect.
Write 贷
贷
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Practice writing 贷 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 贷
贷 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
老实讲，托马斯，你____款的问题开始让我担心了。
Frankly, Thomas, this question of your loan is beginning to worry me.
Example Sentences for 贷 (10)
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1
老实讲，托马斯，你贷款的问题开始让我担心了。
lǎo shí jiǎng， ， tuō mǎ， sī ， nǐ dài kuǎn de wèn tí kāi shǐ ràng wǒ dān。
Frankly, Thomas, this question of your loan is beginning to worry me.
2
无论你如何粉饰，银行就是为了放贷而生的。
wú lùn nǐ rú hé fěn shì， ， yín háng jiù shì wéi le fàng dài ér shēng。
However you dress it up, a bank only exists to lend money.
3
该项目的主要投资商是法国的国民信贷银行。
gāi xiàng mù de zhǔ yào tóu zī shāng shì fǎ guó de guó mín xìn dài yín háng。
The main investor in the project is the French bank Credit National.
