donate
Definitions
To give money or goods to a person or cause, especially a charity
捐赠，捐献（钱或物）
To give blood, an organ, or tissue for medical use
捐献（血液、器官等）
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddon (give, from Latin donare 'to give as a gift') + -ate (verb) = to give freely. Where the plain root dit covers any giving, donare specifically meant giving as a gift — no payment, no expected return — which is exactly what donate still means.
Root dit still carries 69 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.donate money捐款
- 2.donate blood献血
- 3.donate to charity向慈善机构捐赠
- 4.generously donate慷慨捐赠
Example Sentences
- 1.
Thousands of people donated to the disaster relief fund.
- 2.
She donates her old clothes to a local shelter every winter.
- 3.
You can donate blood at the clinic this Saturday.
Easily Confused
donate vs contribute — both mean 'give to a shared purpose,' but donate is one-directional generosity (you expect nothing back: donate to charity), while contribute means giving your share toward a common goal you're also part of (contribute to the discussion, contribute to a pension). You donate to strangers; you contribute to something you belong to.