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打交道 (dǎ jiāo dao) — to have dealings with; to come into contact with (people)

Definition

打交道 means to have dealings or interact with people — usually in a professional, business, or social context. Near 来往 and 交涉: 打交道 is the broadest/colloquial term; 交涉 is more about negotiation over a dispute.

phrase
to have dealings withto come into contact with (people)

Examples

  • 打交道，。
    Tā hěn nán dǎ jiāo dao, dà jiā dōu bù xǐ huan tā.
    He is difficult to deal with; nobody likes him.
  • ，。
    Wǒ hé tā dǎ guò yí cì jiāo dào, jué de tā bú cuò.
    I've dealt with him once and think he's fine.
  • 打交道。
    Zuò zhè háng gōng zuò xū yào jīng cháng hé kè hù dǎ jiāo dao.
    Doing this kind of work requires frequent dealings with clients.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

打dǎdo or engage in
交道social dealings
交jiāoassociation道dàoway or road
联合Coordinate

The first part means do or engage in, and the next two parts mean association and way; together they mean to have dealings with someone.

Characters in this word

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Open 交 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
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