带 from HSK Level 2 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 带 (dài) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which indicates that the character is related to the hand, and the phonetic component 带 (dài), which gives the character its pronunciation. The original meaning of 带 was "to carry something in one's hand". Over time, the meaning of 带 has expanded to include "to wear", "to lead", and "to accompany".The character 带 is first attested in oracle bone script, the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 带 is depicted as a hand holding a string of beads. This suggests that the original meaning of 带 was "to wear a string of beads".In modern Chinese, 带 is used in a variety of contexts. It can be used as a verb, meaning "to wear", "to carry", or "to lead". It can also be used as a noun, meaning "a belt", "a strap", or "a band".The character 带 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 一带一路 (yīdài yīlù) means "the Belt and Road Initiative", a Chinese government initiative to build a network of trade routes connecting China with other countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The proverb 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ) means "if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get the tiger's cub?", which means that you have to take risks in order to achieve your goals.The character 带 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language. It is used in a variety of contexts and has a rich history.