搭腔 (dā qiāng) — to respond (in conversation), to talk to someone; to converse, to join in a conversation

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning to respond to or chime in during a conversation, often implying the speaker met the other halfway rather than starting the talk. Common in the negative 搭不上腔: 'can't get a word in'.

verb
to respond (in conversation)to talk to someoneto converseto join in a conversation

Examples

  • 搭腔。
    Tā bù xiǎng gēn rèn hé rén dā qiāng.
    He doesn't want to talk to anyone.
  • 。
    Wǒ gēn tā dā bú shàng qiāng.
    I can't get a word in with him.
  • 搭腔，。
    Tā zhǔ dòng gēn tā dā qiāng, wèn tā shì bu shì mí lù le.
    She proactively started a conversation with him, asking if he was lost.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

搭dājoin/respond
腔qiāngvoice/remark

搭 means to join or respond, and 腔 refers to a voice or remark, so together they mean converse.

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
荅
荅dá搭dā
Same sound today

搭 is built from 扌, a hand, and 荅, which gives the sound. The hand part points to actions done with the hand.

Open 搭 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

腔 is made from 肉 (meat; flesh) plus 空 (empty; hollow), where 空 supplies the sound.

Open 腔 →

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