Comparing "dai" and "dai"

带 (dài) and 戴 (dài) are both verbs that can be confused in written Chinese because both are pronounced “dài” (fourth tone). While both can be used in informal/formal situations, their meanings are very different as 带 means "to bring" or "to carry," whereas 戴 means "to wear" (an accessory).

B1HSK4ASV4567

	带 (dài)	戴 (dài)
Meaning	to bring, to take, to carry along	to wear (an accessory)
Part of Speech	verb	verb
Formality	informal	flexible

:Yes

Use 带 for "to bring" or "to carry"

Common Phrases

• 没 带méi dàito not carry, to not bring
• 带 钱dài qiánto bring money
• 带 手机dài shǒujīto bring one's cell phone
• 带 词典dài cídiǎnto bring a dictionary

Example Sentences

In the following examples only 带 can be used.

• 我 现在 出去 很 少 带 钱。Wǒ xiànzài chūqù hěn shǎo dài qián.I rarely take cash with me when I go out now.
• 昨天 他 没 带 他 的 女朋友 来 参加 聚会。Zuótiān tā méi dài tā de nǚpéngyou lái cānjiā jùhuì.Yesterday he didn't bring his girlfriend to the party.
• 上个 星期五 我 出 门 时 忘 带 了 手机。Shànggè xīngqīwǔ wǒ chū mén shí wàng dài le shǒujī.I forgot my cell phone when I went out last Friday.
• 你 带 词典 了 吗？我 想 用 一下。Nǐ dài cídiǎn le ma? wǒ xiǎng yòng yīxià.Did you bring a dictionary with you? I'd like to use it.
• 人工 智能 技术 给 大家 带 来 了 很 多 方便。Réngōng zhìnéng jìshù gěi dàjiā dài lái le hěn duō fāngbiàn.Artificial intelligence technology has brought a lot of convenience to everyone.

Use 戴 to say "to wear" (accessories)

Common Phrases

• 戴 眼镜 dài yǎnjìng to wear glasses
• 戴 手套 dài shǒutào to wear gloves
• 戴 帽子 dài màozi to wear a hat
• 戴 手表 dài shǒubiǎo to wear a watch
• 戴 口罩 dài kǒuzhào to wear a mask
• 戴 戒指 dài jièzhi to wear a ring
• 戴 项链 dài xiàngliàn to wear a necklace
• 戴 领带 dài lǐngdài to wear a tie
• 戴 耳机 dài ěrjī to wear headphones
• 戴 耳环 dài ěrhuán to wear earrings
• 戴 围巾dài wéijīn to wear a scarf

Example Sentences

• 我 现在 很 少 戴 手表，因为 我 用 手机 看 时间。Wǒ xiànzài hěn shǎo dài shǒubiǎo, yīnwèi wǒ yòng shǒujī kàn shíjiān.I rarely wear a watch now because I use my phone to check the time.
• 因为 他 的 头发 有点 少，所以 他 常常 戴 帽子。Yīnwèi tā de tóufa yǒudiǎn shǎo, suǒyǐ tā chángcháng dài màozi.He often wears a hat because his hair is a bit less.
• 今天 我 出门 的时候 比较 急，所以 我 忘 了 戴 领带。Jīntiān wǒ chūmén deshíhou bǐjiào jí, suǒyǐ wǒ wàng le dài lǐngdài.I was in a hurry when I left the house today, so I forgot to wear my tie.
• 因为 疫情，现在 戴 口罩 的 人 越来越 多。Yīnwèi yìqíng, xiànzài dài kǒuzhào de rén yuèláiyuè duō.Because of the epidemic, more and more people are now wearing masks.
• 今天 不 是 很 冷，你 怎么 戴 围巾 了？Jīntiān bù shì hěn lěng, nǐ zěnme dài wéijīn le?It's not very cold today, why are you wearing a scarf?

For examples of 穿 (chuān), the other verb meaning "to wear," see this comparison of 穿 and 戴.

Sources and further reading

Websites

• 戴与带的不同区别