打骂 (dǎ mà) — to beat and scold; to maltreat | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb pair (co-verb) meaning to physically hit AND verbally scold together — usually a parent, master, or abuser doing both to a weaker person or animal. 虐待 (HSK 6) covers a wider range of mistreatment; 打骂 is specifically the beat+scold combination.

verb

to beat and scoldto maltreat

Examples

打骂，。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù bèi fù mǔ dǎ mà, tóng nián hěn bú kuài lè.
He was beaten and scolded by his parents since childhood, and his childhood was very unhappy.
打骂，。
Nüè dài dòng wù de rén jīng cháng dǎ mà tā men, zhè zhǒng xíng wéi bì xū zhì zhǐ.
People who abuse animals often beat and scold them; this behavior must be stopped.
打骂。
Nà ge jiù shè huì de nú lì zhǔ zǒng shì suí yì dǎ mà nú pú.
The slave owner in that old society always arbitrarily beat and scolded the servants.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

打 and 骂 stand side by side, giving beating together with scolding.

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.

扌丁打

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

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.

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 罵; 骂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

馬

馬mǎ罵mà

Same sound today

The traditional form 罵 uses 网 (a net) for the meaning and 馬 for the sound; the simplified 骂 is a later shorthand.

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