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打的 (dǎ dī) — to take a taxi, to go by taxi

Definition

Colloquial, spoken verb meaning 'to take a taxi' (short for 打车). Limited to mainland everyday speech — avoid in formal writing; say 乘出租车 or 坐出租车 instead.

verb
to take a taxito go by taxi

Examples

  • 打的。
    Wǒ men dǎ dī qù jī chǎng ba.
    Let's take a taxi to the airport.
  • ，。
    Wǒ zuó tiān dǎ le yí cì de, huā le wǔ shí kuài qián.
    I took a taxi yesterday and spent 50 yuan.
  • 打的，。
    Tā měi tiān dǎ dī shàng bān, yīn wèi dì tiě tài jǐ le.
    He goes to work by taxi every day because the subway is too crowded.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎtake
的detaxi

打 means to take or hire, and 的 stands for the taxi, so it means to take a taxi.

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
白白báiwhite
Sound part声符shēngfú
勺
勺sháo的de
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

的 pairs 白, related to white or brightness, with 勺, which gives a clue to the sound. Its older form 旳 meant bright.

Open 的 →
Appears in
Vehicles

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