腰帶 / 腰带
yāodài
The English word "belt" can be translated into Chinese as 腰帶 / 腰带 (yāodài), 帶 / 带 or 皮帶 / 皮带.
Meaning: band worn around the waist (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 腰帶 / 腰带 | yāodài |
| 帶 / 带 | dài |
| 皮帶 / 皮带 | pídài |
The term 帶 / 带 is a versatile single character that can be used as a noun to refer to a belt, strap or band in various contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 腰帶 / 腰带 (yāodài) is composed of the character 腰 (yāo), meaning 'waist' and the character 帶 (dài), meaning 'belt' or 'to carry'.
Which one should you use?
While 腰帶 / 腰带 is a general term for any belt worn at the waist, 皮帶 / 皮带 specifically refers to a leather belt.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the variation 皮腰帶 is used to mean "belt".
How do you pronounce it?
yāodài
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, the type and color of a 腰帶 / 腰带 once indicated a person's official rank and social status.
- The word 帶 / 带 shares a common linguistic ancestor with the Tibetan word སྡེ, meaning 'district' or 'portion'.
- The character 帶 / 带 is used to describe 'zones' or 'belts' in a geographical sense, such as an 'asteroid belt' or a 'tropical zone'.
Examples in context
- 我需要买一条皮带。I need to buy a belt.
- 他的皮带很漂亮。His belt is very stylish.
- 我想买个新腰带。I want to buy a new belt.
- 这个腰带是我爸爸送给我的。This belt was given to me by my father.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “belt” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 帶, CC BY-SA 4.0.
