回答
huídá
To reply in Chinese, the default form is 回答 (huídá). Wiktionary also lists 答應 / 答应 (dāying) and 答覆 (dáfù).
Meaning: to give a written or spoken response (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 回答 | huídá |
| 答應 / 答应 | dāying |
| 答覆 | dáfù |
The term 回答 is used to mean 'to answer' a question or a query. It can function as both a verb and a noun.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 回答 literally means to 'return an answer', combining 回 (to return/turn) and 答 (to answer).
Which one should you use?
回答 is specifically used when the reply is an answer to a question or a query. In contrast, 答應 is used when the reply involves agreeing to a request or promising to do something. Finally, 答覆 is used for responding to official proposals, letters or formal matters.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
huídá
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'answer' for both people and phones, Chinese uses 接 for 'answering' a phone call. Using 回答 to say you are 'answering' a ringing phone would sound like you are replying to a question the phone itself asked.
- Chinese has a distinct concept called 對答 which refers specifically to the art of 'witty repartee' or a clever back-and-forth reply. It is often used to describe the intellectual sparring found in classical literature.
- In digital communication, like texting, using 回答 can sometimes feel overly formal or even robotic compared to more colloquial ways of saying 'okay' or 'got it'.
Examples in context
- 您回答了什么？How did you reply?This sentence shows how to use 回答 to ask about a reply.Tatoeba #10552168 by GlossaMatik, translation #416890 by blay_paul
- “那不要了,”我回答。"Then I don't want it," I reply.This sentence uses 回答 to indicate a spoken reply in a dialogue.Tatoeba #775678 by eastasiastudent, translation #775679 by eastasiastudent
- 请您用中文或英文回答。Please reply in Chinese or English.This sentence uses 回答 to specify the language used for a reply.Tatoeba #827160 by eastasiastudent, translation #827161 by CM
- 请回复我的邮件。Please reply to my email.
- 请尽快答复我们的邀请函。Please reply to our invitation letter as soon as possible.
- 谢谢你对我的问题进行回答。Thank you for answering my question.
- 我会尽快回你的信息。I will reply to your message as soon as possible.
- 我已经回复了他的电子邮件。I have already replied to his email.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In an office, a colleague asks about a message.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他回答你的邮件了吗？Tā huídá nǐ de yóujiàn le ma?Did he reply to your email?
- 伟 Wei还没，我正在等他的回答。Hái méi, wǒ zhèngzài děng tā de huídá.Not yet, I am waiting for his reply.
- 佳怡 Jiayi可能他现在很忙。Kěnéng tā xiànzài hěn máng.Maybe he is very busy right now.
- 伟 Wei希望他下午能回答我。Xīwàng tā xiàwǔ néng huídá wǒ.I hope he can reply to me this afternoon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “reply” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
