拨打 (bō dǎ) — to call (by phone); to dial | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

拨打 specifically means to dial or place a phone call. It is more formal and technical than the everyday 叫 ('to call'), and is used with a phone number as its object (e.g. 拨打号码).

verb

to call (by phone)to dial

Examples

拨打。
Qǐng bō dǎ zhè ge hào mǎ.
Please dial this number.
拨打。
Tā bō dǎ le sān cì dōu méi rén jiē.
He called three times but no one answered.
拨打？
Nǐ bō dǎ guò jǐn jí diàn huà ma?
Have you ever called the emergency number?

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

拨 means dial and 打 means make a call; together they name dialing a phone.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 撥; 拨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

發

發fā撥bō

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 撥 combines 手 (hand) with 發, which gives the sound; the simplified 拨 is a different form.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Phones & Telecom

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