What's the difference between 待 and 呆?

[klortho]

When pronounced "dai1", these are interchangeable, right? I have two dictionaries that say this, but the Chinese friends that I've talked to are adamant that it is not the case.

For example, "in a moment" could be written either "呆会" or "待会", right?

[amego]

Yep my faithful dict also says so...many chinese words are like that =p

[peterwelm]

呆会 means stay and wait at 原地(yuan2 di4) and don't do anything else

待会 means to wait,but you can do something else

please help me in translating 原地 into english,I don't know the corresponding words of 原地 in english.

In the e-dictionary that I'm using with,原地 means former place,but I think it's not right.

[klortho]

I have one dictionary that says that "原地" means "former place", and another that says it means "(in) the same place". I guess the latter is what you mean in your last post. It would be natural to say "stay and wait in one place without doing anything else" (and say it with a little bit of emphasis on "one").

Thanks for your answer about "呆会" and "待会", but I have a follow up question: are these definitions widely known throughout China, or are they just something you've heard? I mean, not that I doubt you, or anything, but could you provide a source? :-)

[peterwelm]

Thanks for your answer about "呆会" and "待会", but I have a follow up question: are these definitions widely known throughout China, or are they just something you've heard? I mean, not that I doubt you, or anything, but could you provide a source? :-)

It's only my experience,I'm native chinese.I think that most chinese will agree with me on this explaination.But if you asked someone in the street,maybe he couldn't tell you the difference between those words immediately.however,lot's of people wouldn't mind the difference bwteen these two words.

[amego]

Theres a phrase known as 原地踏步, to pace around at the same place, meaning without any improvement.

他在这里做了这么久，还在原地踏步。

[taryn]

Is it really true that 待 and 呆 are interchangeable?

I'm sorry, my Western mind doesn't want to absorb this factoid and furthermore, I don't want my Pimsleur transcripts to be messed up...

[singularity2]

Hi Taryn,

You might want to use 呆 in your Pimsleur transcripts. Although many dictionaries specify that these characters both mean "stay", my native speaking gf said 呆 would probably be used in the case that someone is 'staying' in a city or hotel, while 待 might mean something more similar to "wait", like "stay there until I arrive"...

BTW, you said lesson 30 would be done by the end of the month