撞击 (zhuàng jī) — to strike, to hit, to ram (forcefully) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

撞击 means a forceful, high-speed impact — two things crashing into each other. More violent and head-on than 打击 (which can also mean striking a blow or discouraging someone).

verb

to striketo hitto ram (forcefully)

Examples

撞击。
Liǎng liàng qì chē měng liè de zhuàng jī zài yì qǐ.
Two cars violently crashed into each other.
撞击。
Tā de tóu zhuàng jī dào le zhuō jiǎo.
His head hit the corner of the table.
撞击。
Zài shí yàn zhōng liǎng gè lì zǐ gāo sù zhuàng jī.
In the experiment, two particles collide at high speed.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

击jīstrike

撞 and 击 both mean to hit, together emphasizing forceful impact.

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.

扌童撞

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

童

童tóng撞zhuàng

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

The left side 扌 is the hand radical, written in full as 手, and the right side 童 supplies the sound.

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

毄

毄jī擊jī

Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Safety & Danger

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