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打响 (dǎ xiǎng) — (literal) to start shooting, to fire the first shot; (metaphorical) to make a successful start, to get off to a good start

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to fire the first shot' or, figuratively, 'to make a successful start'. The figurative use ('get off to a good start, win the first round') is far more common than the literal military sense.

verb
(literal) to start shootingto fire the first shot(metaphorical) to make a successful startto get off to a good start

Examples

  • 打响。
    Bù duì zài lí míng shí dǎ xiǎng le dì yī qiāng.
    The troops fired the first shot at dawn.
  • 打响，。
    Zhè ge xīn chǎn pǐn dǎ xiǎng le dì yī pào, xiāo shòu hěn hǎo.
    This new product got off to a great start; sales are very good.
  • 打响，。
    Tā men de jì huà dǎ xiǎng le, yíng dé le dà jiā zhī chí.
    Their plan succeeded and won everyone's support.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

打dǎfire
响xiǎngsound

打 (fire) and 响 (sound) combine to mean fire so it sounds, hence a successful start.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 響; 响 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
音音yīnsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
鄉
鄉xiāng響xiǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 響 pairs 音, meaning sound, with 鄉 to give its pronunciation. The simplified 响 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the historical parts.

Open 响 →
Appears in
Success & Failure

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