打

Stroke order

打 (Kangxi radical 64, 手+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 手一弓 (QMN), four-corner 5102₀, composition ⿰扌丁)

• 𰁫, 咑, 𭯾, 𪭫, 𭠢, 𰒾, 𰓮, 𰔥, 𨴆, 𫩿

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 417, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11781
• Dae Jaweon: page 763, character 13
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1825, character 5
• Unihan data for U+6253

Historical forms of the character 打
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *rteŋʔ, *teːŋʔ) : semantic 扌 (“hand”) + phonetic 丁 (OC *rteːŋ, *teːŋ).

This post-classical word (its earliest extant attestation is in Shuowen) was pronounced *teŋ in Late Old Chinese, as would be expected from a 丁 phonetic. By the early Ming period, the character had been borrowed (訓讀／训读) for another word (撻) with the same meaning ("to flog, to beat") but a different pronunciation (whence Mandarin tà), without the nasal ending. This may be related to the previous reading, as a dialectal variant. In Mandarin and some other varieties, the new reading became standard; however, derivations of the older pronunciation are still used in other varieties such as Wu and Min Nan, as well as Vietnamese (đánh).

It has been compared to Mizo dêng (“to throw; to fling; to hammer”) and proposed to be from Sino-Tibetan (Schuessler, 2007). Also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *dah ~ daʔ (“to hit, to meet”), whence Mon ဒး (tɛ̀h, “to hit (a mark), meet with, reach , be correct, apposite, to fit”) and Khmer ទះ (tĕəh, “to slap, to strike”).

The pronunciation da is recorded in 六書故 as 都假切.

打

1. to hit; to strike; to slap; to beat

   別打人。／别打人。  ―  Bié dǎ rén.  ―  Don't hit people.

   打蚊子  ―  dǎ wénzǐ  ―  to swat mosquitoes

   1. to break by hitting or striking

      我把暖壺打了。／我把暖壶打了。  ―  Wǒ bǎ nuǎnhú dǎ le.  ―  I broke the vacuum flask.

      碗打了。  ―  Wǎn dǎ le.  ―  The bowl was broken .

      雞飛蛋打／鸡飞蛋打  ―  jīfēidàndǎ  ―  having lost everything

   2. (music) to play (a percussion instrument)

      打鼓  ―  dǎ gǔ  ―  to play the drums

2. to fight; to attack

   打架  ―  dǎjià  ―  to come to blows; to fight

   二戰德國為什麼要打蘇聯？ [MSC, trad.]
   二战德国为什么要打苏联？ [MSC, simp.]

   Èrzhàn Déguó wèishénme yào dǎ Sūlián?

   In World War II, why did Germany attack the Soviet Union?

3. the act of beating up

   他挨了一頓打。／他挨了一顿打。  ―  Tā ái le yī dùn dǎ.  ―  He was beaten up.

4. Used as a dummy verb to make a verbal phrase from a noun, including but not limited to:
   1. to get; to fetch

      打水  ―  dǎ shuǐ  ―  to get water

   2. (metonymically) to buy unpackaged or simply packaged goods (meat, soy sauce, oil, etc. at a grocery store)

      打醬油／打酱油  ―  dǎ jiàngyóu  ―  to buy unpackaged soy sauce

      打飯／打饭  ―  dǎ fàn  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      打牛奶  ―  dǎ niúnǎi  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   3. to buy (ticket)

      打票 [Sixian Hakka]  ―  tá-phêu [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   4. to guess; (the riddle) is about

      打一人物  ―  dǎ yī rénwù  ―  to guess a person

   5. to make (a gesture, signal, etc.)

      打招呼  ―  dǎ zhāohū  ―  to say hello

      打呵欠  ―  dǎhēqiàn  ―  to yawn

      打哆嗦  ―  dǎ duōsuo  ―  to shiver

      打右燈／打右灯 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² jau⁶ dang¹   ―  to put on the right turn signal (when driving)

   6. to speak (a signed language)

      打手语  ―  dǎ shǒuyǔ  ―  to speak sign language

   7. to fabricate; to build

      打刀  ―  dǎ dāo  ―  to make a knife

      打牆／打墙  ―  dǎ qiáng  ―  to build a wall

      打毛衣  ―  dǎ máoyī  ―  to knit a sweater

      • 2000, 梁左, 梁欢, 5:55 from the start, in 英达, director, 《闲人马大姐》, season 1, episode 7:

        这桌椅板凳都得从新打，太麻烦。 [Beijing Mandarin, simp.]
        這桌椅板凳都得從新打，太麻煩。 [Beijing Mandarin, trad.]

        Zhè zhuōyǐbǎndèng dōu děi cóngxīn dǎ, tài máfan.

        All these tables, chairs, and stools need to be built anew; it's such a hassle.

   8. to stir

      打算盤／打算盘  ―  dǎ suànpán  ―  to calculate with an abacus

      打方向盤／打方向盘  ―  dǎ fāngxiàngpán  ―  to turn a steering wheel

      打蛋 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² daan^6-2   ―  to whip an egg

   9. to open

      打帳子／打帐子  ―  dǎ zhàngzi  ―  to open (or set up) the bed curtains

      打傘／打伞  ―  dǎ sǎn  ―  to unfurl an umbrella

      打開／打开  ―  dǎkāi  ―  to open

   10. to lift

       打燈籠／打灯笼  ―  dǎ dēnglóng  ―  to carry a lighted lantern

       打幡  ―  dǎ fān  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

       打旗號／打旗号  ―  dǎ qíhào  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

       打幌子  ―  dǎ huǎngzi  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   11. to dig

       打井  ―  dǎ jǐng  ―  to dig a well

       打洞  ―  dǎ dòng  ―  to drill a hole

   12. to send or call

       打電報／打电报  ―  dǎ diànbào  ―  to send a telegraph

       打電話／打电话  ―  dǎ diànhuà  ―  to call on the telephone

       打手機／打手机  ―  dǎ shǒujī  ―  to call on the cellphone

       到咗機場就打畀我。 [Cantonese, trad.]
       到咗机场就打畀我。 [Cantonese, simp.]

       dou³ zo² gei¹ coeng⁴ zau⁶ daa² bei² ngo⁵.

       Call me when you arrive at the airport.

       對不起，打錯了。 [MSC, trad.]
       对不起，打错了。 [MSC, simp.]

       Duìbuqǐ, dǎ cuò le.

       Sorry, I got the wrong number.

   13. to pump (a tire, etc.); to inject

       打氣／打气  ―  dǎ qì  ―  to pump air into something

       打疫苗  ―  dǎ yìmiáo  ―  to give a vaccine

       打顯影劑／打显影剂 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² hin² jing² zai¹   ―  to inject IV contrast

   14. (involving gunpowder) to fire off; to set off; to attack

       打槍／打枪  ―  dǎ qiāng  ―  to fire a gun

       打炮仗  ―  dǎ pàozhang  ―  to set off a firecracker

       把飛機打下來／把飞机打下来  ―  bǎ fēijī dǎ xiàlái  ―  to shoot down an airplane

   15. (figuratively, vulgar) to perform sexual activity

       打炮  ―  dǎpào  ―  to have sex

       打手槍／打手枪  ―  dǎshǒuqiāng  ―  to jerk off

   16. to gather

       打成一片  ―  dǎchéngyīpiàn  ―  to get along well with everyone else

   17. to apply

       打蠟／打蜡  ―  dǎ là  ―  to wax

       打藥／打药  ―  dǎ yào  ―  to spray agricultural pesticide or phytohormone, etc. to the plant

       打膠／打胶  ―  dǎ jiāo  ―  to caulk

   18. to attach

       打補丁／打补丁  ―  dǎ bǔdīng  ―  to patch up

       打個標籤／打个标签  ―  dǎ ge biāoqiān  ―  to tag

   19. to bite (said of insects that eat books, clothes)
   20. to write

       打證明／打证明  ―  dǎ zhèngmíng  ―  to write out a testimonial

       打介紹信／打介绍信  ―  dǎ jièshàoxìn  ―  to write a recommendation letter

   21. to paint; to stamp

       打格子  ―  dǎ gézi  ―  to draw a grid

       打郵戳／打邮戳  ―  dǎ yóuchuō  ―  to postmark

   22. (computing) to type

       「o的」字點打？ [Cantonese, trad.]
       「o的」字点打？ [Cantonese, simp.]

       “di¹” zi⁶ dim² daa²?

       How do you type "o的"?

   23. to display (text, an image, etc.)

       屏幕上打出兩行字。 [MSC, trad.]
       屏幕上打出两行字。 [MSC, simp.]

       Píngmù shàng dǎ chū liǎng háng zì.

       Two lines of text display on the screen.

   24. to use (a computer, usually for entertainment)

       打電腦／打电脑  ―  dǎ diànnǎo  ―  to use a computer

   25. to play (a video game or console)

       打電動／打电动  ―  dǎ diàndòng  ―  to play video game

   26. to play (a sport involving balls with hand)

       打壁球  ―  dǎ bìqiú  ―  to play squash

       打一場輸一場／打一场输一场  ―  dǎ yī chǎng shū yī chǎng  ―  play a round and lose a round

       打波 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² bo¹   ―  to play a ball game

   27. to play (mahjong, card games, etc.)

       打麻雀 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² maa⁴ zoek^3-2   ―  to play mahjong

       打撲克／打扑克 [dialectal Mandarin]  ―  dǎ púkèr   ―  to play poker

       打牌  ―  dǎpái  ―  to play cards or mahjong

   28. to perform (a martial art)

       打太極拳／打太极拳  ―  dǎ tàijíquán  ―  to perform Tai Chi

       打把式  ―  dǎ bǎshi  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   29. to tie

       打領結／打领结  ―  dǎ lǐngjié  ―  to tie a bowtie

       打煲呔 [Cantonese]  ―  daa² bou¹ taai¹   ―  to tie a bowtie

       打死扣  ―  dǎ sǐkòu  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   30. to reduce

       打價／打价  ―  dǎ jià  ―  to bargain

   31. to remove

       打蟲／打虫  ―  dǎ chóng  ―  to kill insects

       打胎  ―  dǎ tāi  ―  to abort a fetus

   32. to stop

       打住  ―  dǎzhù  ―  to stop

5. (Cantonese) to correspond to; to be associated with

   已經唔記得邊個打邊個 [Cantonese, trad.]
   已经唔记得边个打边个 [Cantonese, simp.]

   ji⁵ ging¹ m⁴ gei³ dak¹ bin¹ go³ daa² bin¹ go³

   have already forgotten which one goes with which one

6. to reach
7. from; since

   打東邊來了個喇嘛 [MSC, trad.]
   打东边来了个喇嘛 [MSC, simp.]

   dǎ dōngbiān lái le ge lǎma

   from the east comes a lama

   打今兒起／打今儿起  ―  dǎ jīnr qǐ  ―  from today onward

   • 1907, James Dyer Ball, Cantonese Made Easy, 3rd edition, Kelly & Wash, Ltd., page 114:

     你去就打山邊個條路行。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     你去就打山边个条路行。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     nei⁵ heoi³ zau⁶ daa² saan¹ bin¹ go³ tiu⁴ lou⁶ haang⁴.

     When you go, go by the road on the hill side.

8. (opera) A particle used between reduplicated syllables.
9. a surname

• (to hit):