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实打实 (shí dǎ shí) — (colloquial idiom) down-to-earth, solid and reliable; genuine and without pretense

Definition

Idiom meaning 'genuinely solid' — describes work or results that are real and reliable, with no exaggeration. Often contrasted with empty talk (光说不做), as in doing things 实打实 rather than just talking about them.

idiom
(colloquial idiom) down-to-earthsolid and reliablegenuine and without pretense

Examples

  • 实打实，。
    Tā zuò shì shí dǎ shí, cóng bù tōu lǎn.
    He works in a down-to-earth manner and never slacks off.
  • 实打实。
    Zhè ge chǎn pǐn shì shí dǎ shí de hǎo dōng xī.
    This product is genuinely good stuff.
  • 实打实，。
    Zán men yào shí dǎ shí dì gān, bù néng guāng shuō bú zuò.
    We must work solidly, not just talk without doing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

实shísolid
打实strike solid
打dǎstrike实shísolid
动宾Verb + object

实 means solid, and 打实 means strike solid, so the whole stresses genuine, down-to-earth solidity.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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