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滴答

Mandarin · pinyin dī dā

(onom.) pattering sound
drip drip (of water)
tick tock (of clock)
also pr. dī da

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Characters in this entry

滴: dī · drip; drop of water
答: dá · answer, reply; return; assent to

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1 · di1 da1

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2character links1same-tone record

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

adv

(onomatopoeia) The sound of dripping water: pitter-patter
(onomatopoeia) The sound of a ticking clock: tick; tick tack; tick tock

verb

(onomatopoeia) to fall in drops; to drip

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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