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搭话 (dā huà) — to strike up a conversation, to talk to (someone); to answer, to reply

Definition

搭话 is colloquial: casually strike up or briefly exchange a few words with someone, often with strangers or in passing. It also means answering back when spoken to.

verb
to strike up a conversationto talk to (someone)to answerto reply

Examples

  • 搭话。
    Zài jù huì shàng wǒ bù gǎn gēn mò shēng rén dā huà.
    At the party, I didn't dare strike up a conversation with strangers.
  • 。
    Tā gēn wǒ dā le jǐ jù huà jiù cōng cōng zǒu le.
    He exchanged a few words with me and then left in a hurry.
  • ，搭话。
    Wǒ wèn le hǎo jǐ shēng, tā dōu méi dā huà.
    I called out several times, but he didn't answer.

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
话huàwords

搭 (join) and 话 (words) combine: join words to start or answer a conversation.

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 →

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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