should (yìng: to respond)

Where 应 comes from

The old form 應 held a falcon answering its handler's call. The call-and-answer split by tone: yīng 'should' (what duty calls for) and yìng 'to respond' (answering the call).

应 in Chinese culture

应该 should — moral bedrock of everyday speech. As yìng: 反应 reaction, 应聘 answer a job posting. One character carries both obligation and response — call, and answer.

Example

How to remember it

The falcon hears the call — what SHOULD be done (yīng) gets a RESPONSE (yìng).

应 appears in 应用 'application' — your 应用商店 App Store is literally the 'respond-and-use shop'.

Same sound, different tones

Words unlocked by 应

Related characters