打战 (dǎ zhàn) — to tremble, to shiver (from cold or fear)

Definition

打战 (dǎzhàn) means to tremble or shiver — the body shakes uncontrollably, usually from cold (他冷得直打战) or from fear. It is a vivid, colloquial verb, often paired with 直 or 起来 to show the shaking continuing or starting.

verb
to trembleto shiver (from cold or fear)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 打战。
    Tā lěng dé zhí dǎ zhàn.
    He was so cold he kept shivering.
  • ，打战。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā xià dé dǎ zhàn qǐ lái.
    Upon hearing the news, she started trembling with fear.
  • ，打战。
    Dōng tiān zài wài miàn zhàn jiǔ le, shēn tǐ huì bù yóu zì zhǔ dì dǎ zhàn.
    Standing outside for a long time in winter, your body will involuntarily shiver.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎmake
战zhàntremble

打 means to make or produce and 战 refers to trembling; the body shakes from cold or fear.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Open 战 →

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