adverb / adjective / verb HSK 4
Traditional 相當
quite · fairly · considerably · equivalent to · to be equal to
Meaning
相当 primarily means 'quite' or 'fairly' when used as an adverb to indicate a considerable degree of something. It can also mean 'equivalent to' or 'to match' when functioning as a verb or adjective, expressing equality or comparability between two things.
Usage
As an adverb, 相当 is commonly placed before adjectives or verbs to emphasize a notable degree (相当好, 相当困难). It's more formal than 很 but less extreme than 非常. When used as a verb meaning 'to be equivalent to,' it often appears in comparative contexts (相当于).
Examples
- 01这个问题相当复杂，需要时间解决。, .This problem is quite complicated and needs time to resolve.
- 02他的汉语水平相当于中国大学生。.His Chinese level is equivalent to that of a Chinese university student.
Characters
Common collocations
- 相当于to be equivalent to, to amount to
- 相当大quite large, considerable
- 相当多quite a lot, quite many
- 相当困难quite difficult
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 相 (mutually) and 当 (to match), originally meaning 'to match each other' or 'to be equal.' This sense of equivalence evolved into the modern meaning of 'quite' or 'considerably.'