对
duì · HSK 1
correct
✅ duì sounds like 'doo-AY' — say 'yes, that's right' in agreement
对 means correct or facing toward. The right side 寸 (inch/hand) suggests a hand confirming agreement. Common in 对不起 (sorry) and 对话 (dialogue, lit. facing-speech).
对 — 又 (hand) + 寸 (measure/rule)
Originally depicted a hand (又) holding or responding to something, with 寸 added as a phonetic-semantic element suggesting measured action. The traditional form 對 showed a hand presenting an object in reply, giving the core sense of 'to answer' or 'face toward.' Modern meanings like 'correct' and 'pair' grew from this idea of matching response.