ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

to let; to yield

ràng
5 strokes · 讠(speech radical) + 上 (up, sound) — yielding with words · HSK 2

Where 让 comes from

The traditional 讓 paired speech with a sound element meaning mutual accommodation; simplified 让 keeps the speech radical — yielding began as a verbal act, offering the better seat, the first serving, the right of way.

让 in Chinese culture

让 runs both directions: to politely yield (让座 giving up your seat) and to make someone do something (让我看看 'let me see'). 让一让! called out in a crowd means 'excuse me, coming through' — a whole traffic system in one syllable.

Example

让我 ràng wǒ — let me

让我看看。
Ràng wǒ kànkan.
Let me take a look.

How to remember it

Speech 讠 that steps aside — LET, YIELD, ALLOW.

Kong Rong yielding the biggest pears to his elders at age four — 孔融让梨 — is the yielding story drilled into every Chinese childhood; 让 is taught before long division.

Same sound, different tones

3rd rǎng
to yell
4th ràng
to let

Words unlocked by 让

让我看看 ràng wǒ kànkan
let me see
让一让 ràng yi ràng
excuse me, coming through
让座 ràngzuò
to give up one's seat

Related characters

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