待
dāi
#672 most
frequent character
to stay, to remain
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
待 first meant 'to wait, expect'. 彳 movement is the meaning part, and 寺 chí supplies the sound, though that link is not clear in modern Mandarin. The dài reading grew to 'wait on guests' and 'treat'. The dāi reading means 'stop, stay'.
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