Meaning
报答 means to return a favor or kindness that someone has shown you. It carries a sense of gratitude and obligation, expressing the idea of repaying someone for their help, care, or generosity. This word emphasizes the moral duty to acknowledge and return kindness received.
Usage
报答 is commonly used in formal or semi-formal contexts when discussing gratitude toward parents, teachers, mentors, or benefactors. It often appears with 恩情 (kindness), 养育之恩 (the grace of raising), or similar phrases. Native speakers use it to express sincere appreciation and the desire to give back to those who have helped them.
Examples
- 01我一定要好好学习，将来报答父母的养育之恩。, .I must study hard so that in the future I can repay my parents for raising me.
- 02他对老师的帮助感激不尽，发誓要用一生来报答。, .He is endlessly grateful for his teacher's help and vows to spend his life repaying it.
Characters
Common collocations
- 报答恩情to repay someone's kindness
- 报答父母to repay one's parents
- 无以报答no way to adequately repay
- 好好报答to properly repay
Antonyms
Origin
报 originally meant 'to report' or 'to respond,' while 答 means 'to answer.' Together, 报答 literally suggests 'responding back' or 'answering' someone's kindness with action, forming the concept of reciprocating a favor.