打铁 (dǎ tiě) — to forge iron; to work as a blacksmith

Definition

打铁 (dǎ tiě) is a fixed verb meaning 'to forge iron / work as a blacksmith' — the object 铁 cannot be replaced. Note the tone: 打 is read dǎ here, not dá.

verb
to forge ironto work as a blacksmith

Examples

  • 打铁。
    Tā yé ye yǐ qián kào dǎ tiě wéi shēng.
    His grandfather used to make a living by forging iron.
  • ，。
    Tā dǎ le yí bèi zi de tiě, shǒu yì hěn hǎo.
    He forged iron all his life and his craft is excellent.
  • 打铁。
    dǎ tiě Xū yào hěn dà de lì qi.
    Forging iron requires a lot of strength.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎstrike/work
铁tiěiron

打铁 is to 打 铁, striking or working iron as a blacksmith.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →

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