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打听 (dǎ ting) — to ask around; to inquire (by seeking information from others)

Definition

打听 (dǎting) means to ask around or make quiet inquiries — information-gathering by talking to people, not by checking documents. More active and informal than 询问; opposite in tone to the accusatory 质问.

verb
to ask aroundto inquire (by seeking information from others)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 打听。
    Wǒ bāng nǐ dǎ ting yí xià tā de diàn huà hào mǎ.
    Let me ask around for his phone number.
  • 打听？
    Nǐ dǎ ting dào nà jiàn shì de zhēn xiàng le ma?
    Did you find out the truth about that matter?
  • 打听。
    Tā dào chù dǎ ting xīn gōng zuò de xiāo xi.
    He's asking around everywhere for news about a new job.

Origin

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Communication & Speech

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