How to Write 答 (dā/dá) — Meaning “To answer; to reply”

Imagine a bamboo stick (⺮) standing up, and a person using it to press two pieces of paper together (合) to form an answer. This picture of joining bamboo with a combining motion helps recall both the shape and meaning of 'to answer'.

Start with the bamboo radical on top: write the left part (two strokes: left-falling, horizontal, dot) then the right part (same). Then write the bottom 合: a left-falling stroke, right-falling stroke, horizontal, vertical, horizontal turn, and final horizontal. Common mistake: making the top bamboo too wide so it hides the bottom – keep it balanced.

All three share the bamboo radical ⺮ on top, but the bottom parts are different. 答 has 合 (a person with a mouth), 笑 has 夭 (like a person with arms raised, meaning 'smile'), and 笔 has 毛 (hair/feather, meaning 'pen'). Remember: 答 = bamboo + combine, 笑 = bamboo + smile, 笔 = bamboo + hair.

答 commonly appears in words like 回答 (huí dá, to answer a question) and 答应 (dā yìng, to promise or agree). In daily conversation, you use 答 when replying to someone, and it is a polite and neutral way to respond. It is one of the first characters HSK 1 learners study because it is very frequent in basic interactions.

Common words containing 答 include: 回答 (huí dá) — To answer; to reply.; 报答 (bào dá) — to repay (a kindness); to requite; 答应 (dā yìng) — to promise / to agree / to answer.