妥 (tuǒ) · appropriate, proper, settled

Meanings

1 appropriate
2 proper
3 settled

Characters

妥

tuǒ

appropriate; settled; proper

Examples

HSK 2

你觉得这样做妥不妥？

Nǐ juéde zhèyàng zuò tuǒ bù tuǒ?

Do you think it's appropriate to do it this way?

HSK 3

这件事已经办妥了。

Zhè jiàn shì yǐjīng bàn tuǒ le.

This matter has been properly taken care of.

Tips

usage

妥 is often used as a complement after verbs: 办妥 (handle properly), 安排妥 (arrange properly). It confirms something is settled and done right.

Components

radical

女 nǚ

woman

Bottom radical 女 (woman) anchors the indexing key. The compound ideograph 'reaching hand + woman' depicts a settling, calming gesture - perhaps soothing a crying child, or formally pacifying a household after conflict. The same 'soothe, settle' image gives 妥 its core meaning: properly arranged, appropriate, beyond dispute (妥协 'compromise', 妥当 'appropriate').

semantic

爫 zhǎo

claw; hand from above

Top 爫 is the 'claw / downward hand' radical - a hand reaching down from above. In 妥 it pictures a hand placed gently on a woman's head, the gesture of soothing or settling someone. The compound reads as a calming touch - by extension 'appropriate, settled, secure'. Same 爫 reaching-hand appears in 受 (receive), 爱 (love), 采 (pluck).