打油诗 (dǎ yóu shī) — doggerel, clumsy verse (informal, humorous, or satirical poetry)

Definition

A colloquial, humorous style of verse — intentionally rough in meter, often satirical or playful. Refers to a genre (not a single poem), so pair it with a piece: 一首打油诗.

noun
doggerelclumsy verse (informal, humorous, or satirical poetry)

Examples

  • 打油诗，。
    Tā xiě le yì shǒu dǎ yóu shī, bǎ dà jiā dōu dòu xiào le.
    He wrote a piece of doggerel that made everyone laugh.
  • 打油诗，。
    Zhè shǒu dǎ yóu shī suī rán bù gōng zhěng, dàn hěn yǒu qù wèi.
    This doggerel, though not polished, is quite interesting.
  • 打油诗。
    Wǎng shàng hěn duō rén xǐ huan yòng dǎ yóu shī lái fěng cì shè huì xiàn xiàng.
    Many people online like to use doggerel to satirize social phenomena.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

打油beat oil
打dǎbeat油yóuoil
动宾Verb + object
诗shīpoem

打油 gives a rough, colloquial coloring, and 诗 names the poem.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu油yóu
Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

Open 油 →

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 詩; 诗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì詩shī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詩 combines 言 (speech) with 寺 as a sound part, because poetry is a kind of speech; the simplified 诗 is a later abbreviation.

Open 诗 →

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