拷打 (kǎo dǎ) — to flog, beat, or torture (especially a prisone… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written word meaning to beat and torture someone (especially a prisoner or captive). Stronger and more literary than everyday 打 or 揍 — it implies sustained cruelty, not a single blow.

verb

to flogbeator torture (especially a prisoner)

Examples

拷打。
Tā men kǎo dǎ le nà ge fàn rén.
They tortured that prisoner.
，拷打。
Zài jiù shè huì, dì zhǔ jīng cháng kǎo dǎ nóng mín.
In the old society, landlords often tortured peasants.
拷打。
Dí rén kǎo dǎ le tā sān tiān sān yè.
The enemy tortured him for three days and three nights.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

拷kǎotorture

"拷" and "打" both mean beat or torture, so together they describe flogging.

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.

扌考拷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

考

考kǎo拷kǎo

Same sound today

拷 puts 扌 (hand) beside 考, which gives the sound; this form replaced the earlier 考.

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

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