打

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 打 (dǎ) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which indicates that the character is related to hand or action, and the phonetic component 朶 (duǒ), which provides a hint to its pronunciation. The original meaning of 打 is "to strike" or "to hit". It can be used as a verb, meaning "to beat", "to attack", or "to play" (a musical instrument). For example, 打人 (dǎ rén) means "to beat someone", 打仗 (dǎ zhàng) means "to fight a war", and 打球 (dǎ qiú) means "to play ball".打 can also be used as a noun, meaning "a blow" or "a hit". For example, 他挨了一打 (tā āi le yī dǎ) means "he was hit once".In addition to its literal meaning, 打 can also be used in a figurative sense. For example, 打主意 (dǎ zhuyi) means "to make up one's mind", 打官司 (dǎ guānsī) means "to go to court", and 打退堂鼓 (dǎ tuì tánggǔ) means "to give up halfway".The character 打 is commonly used in Chinese and has a wide range of meanings. By understanding its etymology and structure, HSK learners can better grasp its usage and enrich their Chinese vocabulary.