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戴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
戴dàisurname DaiHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
戴dàito put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves etc)HSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
戴dàito respectHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
戴dàito bearHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
戴dàito supportHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
戴dàito support; to respect; to put on, to wear; surnameHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 戈, rank #785, Hard
dài(Dai4) T4
  1. 1to put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves etc)
  2. 2to respect
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
戴dài(Dai4)

The character 戴 (dài) primarily means 'to wear' or 'to put on' items such as glasses, hats, or gloves. It can also convey a sense of respect or support towards someone or something, indicating a bearing of responsibility or honor. This versatility makes it common in both everyday contexts and more formal situations.

Strokes17Radical戈Frequency#785DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, wearing certain accessories can signify respect, such as when a man wears a hat during formal occasions or when showing deference to elders. This reflects the broader cultural value placed on respect and propriety.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person '戴ing' a crown (戴 sounds like 'die') to show respect. The character has the radical 戈 (gē) which signifies weapons, reminding you that wearing something can also symbolize bearing arms or responsibilities.

Meanings of 戴

dài(Dai4)
1to put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves etc)
2to respect
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 戴

戴Simplified
17Strokes
戈Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#785Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 戴

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Podcast: 戴

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AI Study Notes for 戴

Quick Contrast

戴 (dài) vs 穿 (chuān) — use 戴 for items worn on the head or hands, while 穿 is for clothing worn on the body.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person '戴ing' a crown (戴 sounds like 'die') to show respect. The character has the radical 戈 (gē) which signifies weapons, reminding you that wearing something can also symbolize bearing arms or responsibilities.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 戴 (dài) with 穿 (chuān), which means to wear clothing. While 戴 is used for accessories like hats and glasses, 穿 is for clothes. It's important to use this character in both formal and informal contexts appropriately.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 戴 connects with other words related to clothing and accessories, such as 穿 (chuān) and 脱 (tuō, to take off). Students should focus on using 戴 in sentences that describe wearing various items.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, wearing certain accessories can signify respect, such as when a man wears a hat during formal occasions or when showing deference to elders. This reflects the broader cultural value placed on respect and propriety.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is using 戴 for clothing items, which should use 穿 instead. For instance, saying '我戴衬衫' (Wǒ dài chènshān) is incorrect; it should be '我穿衬衫' (Wǒ chuān chènshān).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 戴

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Etymology of 戴

Explanation

Depicts a pair of hands (共) putting something on top of the head. The 𢦔 component represents the sound.

Learn more about character formation (六书)

Decomposition of 戴

IDS Structure⿻⿱十異戈
戴Full Character
=
十shi2
top
異yi4
bottom
戈Ge1
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 戴?

Write 戴

戴

Practice writing 戴 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 戴

戴 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 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons1
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

Used to emphasize the action of putting on or wearing something.

他是戴眼镜的。

tā shì dài yǎnjìng de.

He is the one who wears glasses.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

那位____着眼镜的白头发高个子老人就是我们的校长。

That elderly person wearing glasses with white hair and a tall build is our principal.

Common Confusions with 戴

戴vs带
dài

Same pronunciation but different meanings.

戴vs待
dài

Same pronunciation but different meanings.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to put on or wear (glasses, hat, gloves etc)"?

or

Usage Notes for 戴

Confusion with '带' and '待'Common Error

Learners often confuse '戴' with '带' (to bring) and '待' (to wait) because they sound the same.

1

我戴帽子。

I wear a hat.

2

我带帽子。

I bring a hat.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我____帽子。

I wear a hat.

Example Sentences for 戴 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你可以和戴维·贝克汉姆的纸板模型合影。

nǐ kě yǐ hé dài wéi· · bèi kè hàn mǔ de zhǐ bǎn mó xíng hé。

You can have your picture taken with a cutout of David Beckham.
2
戴维斯落后了差不多两秒，获得第三名。

dài wéi sī luò hòu le chà bù duō liǎng miǎo， ， huò dé dì sān。

Davies finished almost two seconds in arrears for third place.
3
演奏钢琴的戴夫将这支曲子反复弹了两三遍。

yǎn zòu gāng qín de dài fū jiāng zhè zhī qū zǐ fǎn fù dàn le liǎng sān biàn。

Dave, the pianist, played it over a couple of times.
4
戴维斯先生的这番话值得大家停下来思考一下。

dài wéi sī xiān shēng de zhè fān huà zhí dé dà jiā tíng xià lái sī kǎo yī xià。

It is worth pausing to consider these statements from Mr Davies.
5
这远不如戴维所料想的那么痛苦。

zhè yuǎn bù rú dài wéi suǒ liào xiǎng de nà mó tòng kǔ。

It was nowhere near as painful as David had expected.
6
70年代初我戴假睫毛，这在当时是时尚。

70 70 nián dài chū wǒ dài jiǎ jié， máo ， zhè zài dāng shí shì。

In the early seventies I wore false eyelashes, as was the fashion.
7
莱瑟戴尔头部一侧遭到响亮的一击。

lái sè dài ěr tóu bù yī cè zāo dào xiǎng liàng de yī jī。

Leatherdale was hit resoundingly on the side of the head.
8
门口站着一位穿戴整齐、仪态庄重的男子。

mén kǒu zhàn zháo yī wèi chuān dài zhěng qí、 、 yí tài zhuāng zhòng de nán。

At the door was a neatly dressed, dignified man.
9
因为天气暖和，戴维只穿了一件白色的棉衬衣。

yīn wéi tiān qì nuǎn hé， ， dài wéi zhī chuān le yī jiàn bái sè de mián chèn。

Because it was warm, David wore only a white cotton shirt.
10
戴维发誓要离开这个项目，我不得不对他表示钦佩。

dài wéi fā shì yào lí kāi zhè gè xiàng mù， ， wǒ bù dé bù duì tā biǎo shì qīn。

I had to admire David's vow that he would leave the programme.

Cultural Notes for 戴

💡Did you know?

In Chinese culture, wearing certain accessories can symbolize respect and status. For instance, the act of '戴' can be seen in traditional ceremonies where specific hats or garments are worn to denote one's social standing.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, wearing certain accessories can signify respect, such as when a man wears a hat during formal occasions or when showing deference to elders. This reflects the broader cultural value placed on respect and propriety.

📜Proverb

There's a Chinese saying: '戴着帽子行走，才有风度', which means 'Wearing a hat with style gives you grace.' This highlights the importance of appearance in social interactions.

Word Family of 戴

Compounds2
襶
瀻
Words Containing This Character15
戴dàito bear
戴尔Dell戴爾
戴上to put on (hat etc)
戴维斯Davis or Davies (name)戴維斯
佩戴to wear (as accessories)
爱戴àidàito love and respect愛戴
戴安娜Diana (name)
穿戴to dress
北戴河Beidaihe district of Qinhuangdao city 秦皇島市|秦皇岛市[Qín​huáng​dǎo​shì], Hebei
拥戴(popular) support擁戴
戴高乐Charles De Gaulle (1890-1970), French general and politician, leader of the Free French during World War II and president of the Republic 1959-1969戴高樂
戴帽子to wear a hat
戴维斯杯Davis Cup (international tennis team competition)戴維斯杯
不共戴天absolutely irreconcilable
披星戴月to toil away for long hours
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 戴 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 戴

Common phrases using 戴 include '戴帽子' (dài mào zi) meaning 'to wear a hat' and '戴手套' (dài shǒu tào) meaning 'to wear gloves.' These phrases are helpful for everyday conversations about clothing and accessories.