打鱼 (dǎ yú) — to fish (with nets), to catch fish as a livelihood

Definition

A verb-object phrase for catching fish with nets as a livelihood — 'to fish (professionally)'. 打 here means 'to do/practice', not 'to hit'. 钓鱼 is for sport, using a rod.

verb
to fish (with nets)to catch fish as a livelihood

Examples

  • 打鱼。
    Tā měi tiān chū hǎi dǎ yú.
    He goes out to sea to fish every day.
  • 。
    Yé ye dǎ le yí bèi zi de yú.
    Grandpa fished his whole life.
  • 打鱼。
    Tā men kào dǎ yú wéi shēng.
    They make a living by fishing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎcatch
鱼yúfish

打 expresses catching, and 鱼 names the fish.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 魚; 鱼 is its simplified writing.

For 鱼, the traditional form 魚 is a picture of a fish.

Open 鱼 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.