陪伴

• Pinyin: péi bàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 陪 = 阝 + 咅 (mound-left + sound together — stand beside); 伴 = 亻 + 半 (person + half — companion at one's side)

Meaning

Accompany; to keep someone company; the act of being present with someone, especially in difficult or lonely times.

Carries a warm, emotionally resonant quality beyond mere physical presence. Frequently used in discussions of parenting, eldercare, friendship, and mental health. The noun form 陪伴 is common in sentimental or literary contexts.

Examples

1. 父母的陪伴对孩子的心理健康发展至关重要。 Parents’ companionship is crucial to children’s mental and emotional development.
2. 他在老人生命最后的几个月里每天陪伴左右。 In the last few months of the elderly person’s life, he stayed by their side every day.
3. 一本好书能够在漫漫长夜中给人带来无声的陪伴。 A good book can offer quiet companionship through long nights.

Usage Guide

Context: family, mental health, eldercare, friendship

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 研究表明，高质量的亲子陪伴对儿童的认知和情感发展有显著的积极影响。(Research shows that high-quality parental companionship has a significantly positive impact on children's cognitive and emotional development.)
• 在异乡求学的岁月里，室友之间的相互陪伴成为了彼此最珍贵的回忆。(During the years of studying far from home, the mutual companionship between roommates became among their most cherished memories.)

Don't Say

• 我陪伴了他去超市 — use 陪 or 陪同 for accompanying someone on a specific errand; 陪伴 emphasises ongoing emotional presence, not a single errand trip

Origin & History

陪 (accompany, be beside) + 伴 (companion, partner) — both characters denote being alongside another

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal