定 (dìng): to fix; to set; to decide

Meanings

1 to fix; to set; to decide
2 definite; certain; stable

Characters

定

dìng

to fix; to decide; certain

A roof radical 宀 over 正 (correct) - something settled correctly under a roof, hence "decided and stable."

Examples

HSK 1

时间定了吗？

Shíjiān dìng le ma?

Has the time been set?

HSK 2

一定要来啊！

Yīdìng yào lái a!

You must come!

HSK 3

我们决定去旅行。

Wǒmen juédìng qù lǚxíng.

We decided to travel.

Tips

usage

定 is extremely productive: 一定 (definitely), 决定 (to decide), 肯定 (certainly), 稳定 (stable), 固定 (fixed). 订 is a related character for 'to book/order'.

Components

radical

宀 mián

roof

Top indexing roof radical - caps the character with the image of a fixed dwelling. The roof groups stability / home characters: 家 (home), 安 (peace), 完 (complete), 定 (settled). Grounds 定 in the sense 'sheltered and put right, decided' - the roof is the frame under which things are made stable.

semantic

疋 pǐ

foot (here stylized 正)

Bottom 疋 - read here as a stylized 正 (correct, upright), drawn with its top horizontal merged into the roof above. The compound ideograph reads: under a roof, things are set straight = decided, fixed, stable. The 疋 shape preserves the 'foot planted firmly' silhouette of the underlying 正.