More on why 打 can be such a fun character
Recently, my tutor went over many ways to use 打 ㄉㄚˇ (dǎ). We also discussed the parts of the character 打 and how they relate to its meaning. Then, for the next lesson I had she had quite a few more ways she wanted to list. Many of them are quite fun.
Getting dressed up or into costume
我要打扮一下。
(我)(要)(打扮)(一下)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄢ˙)(ㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)
(wǒ)(yào)(dǎ ban.)(yí xià)
(I)(to want)(to dress up, to decorate)(a moment/a bit/softens statement)
I want to dress up a bit.
哇！你打扮得跟聖誕老人一樣！
(哇) (你)(打扮)(得)(跟)(聖誕老人)❶(一樣)
(ㄨㄚ) (ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄢ˙)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄕㄥˋ ㄉㄢˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ)(ㄧˊ ㄧㄤˋ)
(wā) (nǐ)(dǎ ban.)(de.)(gēn)(shèng dàn lǎo rén)(yí yàng)
(wow) (you)(to dress up)(particle connecting verb to adverbial phrase)(as)(Santa Claus)(the same as)
Wow! You dressed up just like Santa Claus!
Speaking of knitting or weaving
我真的很想學好怎麼打毛線。
(我)(真的)(很)(想)(學)(好)(怎麼)(打毛線)❷
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄓㄣㄉㄜ˙)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄒㄧㄤˇ)(ㄒㄩㄝˇ)(ㄏㄠˇ)(ㄗㄣˇ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄇㄠˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ)
(wǒ)(zhēn de.)(hěn)(xiǎng)(xué)(hǎo)(zěn me.)(dǎ máo xiàn)
(I)(really)(very)(to think, to want)(to learn)(well)(how)(to knit)
I really want to learn how to knit.
Snoring…
有時候我老公打呼會很大聲噢！
(有時候)(我)(老公)(打呼)(會)(很)(大聲)(噢)
(ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄨ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄚˋ ㄕㄥ)(ㄡ)
(yǒu shí hòu)(wǒ)(lǎo gōng)(dǎ hū)(huì)(hěn)(dà shēng)(ō)
(sometimes)(my)(husband)(to snore)(will)(very)(loudly, loud voice)(expression sound)
Sometimes my husband snores very loudly!
Everyone burps sometimes
我喝汽水以後常常打嗝很多次。
(我)(喝)(汽水)(以後)(常常)(打嗝)(很)(多)(次)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄏㄜ)(ㄑㄧˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ)(ㄧˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄔㄤˊ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄍㄜˊ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄨㄛ)(ㄘˋ)
(wǒ)(hē)(qì shǔi)(yí hòu)(cháng cháng)(dǎ gé)(hěn)(duō)(cì)
(I)(to drink)(gas + water = soda)(after)(often)(burp)(very)(many)(times)
After I drink soda, I usually burp quite a few times.
嬰孩吃奶以後會打嗝。
(嬰孩)(吃)(奶)(以後)(會)(打嗝)
(ㄧㄥ ㄏㄞˊ)(ㄔ)(ㄋㄞˇ)(ㄧˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄍㄜˊ)
(yīng hái)(chī)(nǎi)(yí hòu)(huì)(dǎ gé)
(infant)(to eat)(milk)(after)(will)(burp)
After a baby is nursed it will burp.
It is hard to stifle
如果你覺得很累時，想必你會打哈欠。
(如果)(你)(覺得)(很)(累)(時)，(想必)(你)(會)(打哈欠)
(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄌㄟˋ)(ㄕˊ), (ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄧˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄜ ㄑㄧㄢˋ)
(rú guǒ)(nǐ)(jué de.)(hěn)(lèi)(shí), (xiǎng bì)(nǐ)(huì)(dǎ hē qiàn)
(if)(you)(feel)(very)(tired)(shen), (probably, surely)(you)(will)(to yawn)
When you are very tired, you will almost certainly yawn.
When you think something is a sure thing –
我打包票他一定會笑出來！
(我)(打包票)(他)(一定)(會)[(笑)(出來)]
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠˇ ㄆㄧㄠˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄧˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)[(ㄒㄧㄠˋ)(ㄔㄨ ㄌㄞˊ)]
(wǒ)(dǎ bǎo piào)(tā)(yí dìng)(huì)[(xiào)(chū lái)]
(I)(guarantee)(he)(certainly)(will)[(laugh) + (to come out) = laugh out loud]
I guarantee he will laugh!
我給你打包票明天一定會下雨。
(我)(給)(你)(打包票)(明天)(一定)(會)(下雨)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄍㄟˇ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠˇ ㄆㄧㄠˋ)(ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄢ)(ㄧˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄩˇ)
(wǒ)(gěi)(nǐ)(dǎ bǎo piào)(míng tiān)(yí dìng)(huì)(xià yǔ)
(I)(give)(you)(to guarantee)(tomorrow)(certainly, surely)(will)(to rain)
I guarantee you, it will surely rain tomorrow.
An irritated diaphragm muscle is the cause of this:
當我吃爆玉米花時，通常都會打呃幾分鐘。
(當)(我)(吃)(爆玉米花)(時)，
(ㄉㄤ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄔ)(ㄅㄠˋ ㄩˋ ㄇㄧˇ ㄏㄨㄚ)(ㄕˊ),
……(dāng)(wǒ)(chī)(bào yù mǐ huā)(shí),
……(at)(I)(to eat)(popcorn)(when, time)
…..(通常)(都)(會)(打呃)(幾)(分鐘)
……(ㄊㄨㄥ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄉㄡ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄜˋ)(ㄐㄧˇ)(ㄈㄣ ㄓㄨㄥ)
……(tōng cháng)(dōu)(huì)(dǎ è)(jǐ)(fēn zhōng)
Whenever I eat popcorn, I usually get the hiccups for a few minutes.
不知道為什麼今天我不停地 打呃！
(不)(知道)(為什麼)(今天)(我)(不停)(地)(打呃)
(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄐㄧㄣ ㄊㄧㄢ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄧㄥˊ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄜˋ)
(bù)(zhī dào)(wèi shén me.)(jīn tiān)(wǒ)(bù tíng)(de.)(dǎ è)
(not)(to know)(why)(today)(I)(incessant)(-ly)(hiccup)
I don’t know why I can’t stop hiccuping today!
A last ditch effort to stay warm
我忘記穿外套，所以冷得打哆嗦。
(我)(忘記)(穿)(外套)，(所以)(冷)(得)(打哆嗦)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄨㄤˋ ㄐㄧˋ)(ㄔㄨㄢ)(ㄨㄞˋ ㄊㄠˋ), (ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄧˇ)(ㄌㄥˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄙㄨㄛ˙)
(wǒ)(wàng jì)(chuān)(wài tào), (suǒ yǐ)(lěng)(de.)(dǎ duō suo.)
(I)(to forget)(to wear)[(outside) + (wrapper, cover) = (coat, jacket)], (so)(cold)(particle used after adjective linking to phrase indicating degree)(to shiver)
I forgot to wear my coat; I’m so cold I’m shivering.
There will always be competition
我答應他們 「下次一定會打敗你們！」
(我)(答應)(他們) (下)(次)(一定)(會)(打敗)(你們)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄉㄚ ㄧㄥ)(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙) (ㄒㄧㄚˋ)(ㄘˋ)(ㄧˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄞˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ ㄇㄣ˙)
(wǒ)(dā yīng)(tā men.) (xià)(cì)(yí dìng)(huì)(dǎ bài)(nǐ men.)
(I)(to promise)(them) (next)(time)(certainly)(will)(to defeat, to beat)(you)
I promised them, “Next time we will beat you!”
When a phone connection doesn’t work
我不知道為什麼這個電話號碼打不通。
(我)(不)(知道)(為什麼)(這個)(電話)(號碼)(打不通)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄓㄜˋ ㄍㄜ˙)(ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ)(ㄏㄠˋ ㄇㄚˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥ)
(wǒ)(bù)(zhī dào)(wèi shén me.)(zhè ge.)(diàn huà)(hào mǎ)(dǎ bù tōng)
(I)(not)(to know)(why)(this)(phone)(number)(cannot get through)
I don’t know why this call isn’t going through.
If something gets messed up
我已經安排好的時間表被他打亂了！
(我)(已經)(安排)(好的)(時間表)(被)(他)(打亂)(了)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄥ)(ㄢ ㄆㄞˊ)(ㄏㄠˇ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕˊ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄅㄞㄠˇ)(ㄅㄞˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄌㄨㄢˋ)(ㄌㄜ˙)
(wǒ)(yǐ jīng)(ān pái)(hǎo de.)(shí jiān biǎo)(bèi)(tā)(dǎ luàn)(le.)
(I)(already)(to arrange)(completely)(schedule)(by)(him)(messed up)(emphasis)
When I’ve already arranged my schedule, he messes it up.
It has to be someone’s idea
家裡大大小小的事情通常都是他的太太在打主意。
(家)(裡)(大大小小)(的)(事情)(通常)(都)
(ㄐㄧㄚ)(ㄌㄧˇ)(ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄕˋ ㄑㄧㄥˊ)(ㄊㄨㄥ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄉㄡ)
(jiā)(lǐ)(dà dà xiǎo xiǎo)(de.)(shì qíng)(tōng cháng)(dōu)
(house)(in)(everything big and small)(adjective marker)(affair, thing)(usually)(all)
…..(是)(他的)(太太)(在)(打主意)
……(ㄕˋ)(ㄊㄚ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄊㄞˋ ㄊㄞ˙)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧ˙)
……(shì)(tā de.)(tài tai.)(zài)(dǎ zhǔ yi.)
……(to be, is)(his)(wife)(in the middle of doing)(to pay attention to, idea)
His wife takes care of nearly all the household affairs.
When in traffic
開車轉彎的時候你要打信號燈。
(開車)(轉彎)(的時候)(你)(要)(打信號燈)
(ㄎㄞ ㄔㄜ)(ㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄨㄢ)(ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄏㄠˋ ㄉㄥ)
(kāi chē)(zhuǎn wān)(de. shí hòu)(nǐ)(yào)(dǎ xìn hào dēng)
(to drive a car)(to turn, to go around a corner)(when)(you)(important, to want)(to hit the turn signal light)
When you are driving a car and turn a corner, it is important that you signal.
Greetings are associated with hand movements
你見到你妹妹的時候代我給她打招呼。
(你)(見到)(你)(妹妹)(的時候)(代)(我)(給)(她)(打招呼)
(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄇㄟˋ ㄇㄟ˙)(ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄉㄞˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄍㄟˇ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄠ ㄏㄨ˙ )
(nǐ)(jiàn dào)(nǐ)(mèi mei.)(de. shí hòu)(dài)(wǒ)(gěi)(tā)(dǎ zhāo hu.)
(you)(to see)(your)(younger sister)(when)(to act on other’s behalf)(my)(to give)(her)(to greet by word or action)
When you see your little sister, tell her hello for me.
A mother may ask her son:
你打算打光棍到什麼時候？
(你)(打算)(打光棍)(到)(什麼時候)
(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄙㄨㄢˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄍㄨㄣˋ)(ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)
(nǐ)(dǎ suàn)(dǎ guāng gùn)(dào)(shén me. shí hòu)
(you)(to plan, to calculate)(to live as a bachelor)(up to, until)(when? at what time?)
How long do you plan to be a bachelor?
Everyone appreciates someone like this –
他總是打前鋒，因為他最勇敢。
(他)(總是)(打前鋒)，(因為)(他)(最)(勇敢)
(ㄊㄚ)(ㄗㄨㄥˇ ㄕˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄈㄥ), (ㄧㄣ ㄨㄟˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄗㄨㄟˋ)(ㄧㄨㄥˇ ㄍㄢˇ)
(tā)(zǒng shì)(dǎ qián fēng), (yīn wèi)(tā)(zuì)(yǒng gǎn)
(he)(always)(to take the first risk, to be on the front line), (because)(he)(the most)(brave, courageous)
He is always the first to take action, because he is the most courageous.
But also someone who does this well:
你跟他說話的時候他總是打哈哈。
(你)(跟)(他)(說話)(的時候)(他)(總是)(打哈哈)
(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄕㄨㄛ ㄏㄨㄚˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄗㄨㄥˇ ㄕˋ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄚ ㄏㄚ˙ )
(nǐ)(gēn)(tā)(shuō huà)(de. shí hòu)(tā)(zǒng shì)(dǎ hā ha.)
(you)(with)(him)(to speak, to talk)(when)(he)(always)(cracks a joke, makes merry)
He always cracks a joke when you talk to him.
In order to sing well …
她學這首歌時會用腳打拍子。
(她)(學)(這)(首)(歌)(時)(會)(用)(腳)(打拍子)
(ㄊㄚ)(ㄒㄩㄝˊ)(ㄓㄜˋ)(ㄕㄡˇ)(ㄍㄜ)(ㄕˊ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄧㄨㄥˋ)(ㄐㄧㄠˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄆㄞ ㄗ˙)
(tā)(xué)(zhè)(shǒu)(gē)(shí)(huì)(yòng)(jiǎo)(dǎ pāi zi.)
(she)(to learn)(a)(measure word)(song)(when)(will)(to use)(foot)(to beat time)
When she learns a song, she will use her foot to beat the time.
There is almost always a sale.
每次買東西我希望找到有打折。
(每)(次)(買東西)(我)(希望)(找到)(有)(打折)❸
(ㄇㄟˊ)(ㄘˋ)(ㄇㄞˇ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄒㄧ ㄨㄤˋ)(ㄓㄠˇ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄧㄡˇ)(ㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄜˊ)
(méi)(cì)(mǎi dōng xī)(wǒ)(xī wàng)(zhǎo dào)(yǒu)(dǎ zhé)
(every)(time)(to go shopping)(I)(to hope, to desire)(to find)(to have)(to give discount)
Every time I go shopping I hope to find things that have been discounted.
There are many more uses of 打 in my little green Chinese- English dictionary. I think I will understand them all better now. And using them will be more fun.
Notes:
❶ The literal Chinese here for Santa Clause is
聖誕 ㄕㄥˋ ㄉㄢˋ (shèng dàn) holy birth, which is this case is referring to Christmas, but could refer to other “holy” births
老人 ㄌㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ (lǎo rén) old person
Keep in mind that using the designation 老 is usually one of respect. Sometimes he is called 聖誕老公公, doubling the 公 to indicate quite old or “husband’s father.” (there in a link embedded in the 老公 characters if you would like to read more about how to say husband in Chinese.)
❷ 毛線 ㄇㄠˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ literally translated mean “fur/hair/feather thread.” Much more exact than “yarn.” There are other first characters used for yarn or thread depending on the exact material spun to make it.
❸ When I first tried to write this sentence, I was thinking of how we use “discount” as a noun in English, such as “That was a good discount.” However, it is only verb in Chinese.
