打前站 (dǎ qián zhàn) — to act as an advance party, to go ahead to make preparations

Definition

A separable verb meaning to go ahead as an advance party — scouting out logistics (hotels, routes, bookings) before the main group arrives. 先锋 covers the people side; 打前站 emphasizes the preparatory work.

verb
to act as an advance partyto go ahead to make preparations

Examples

  • ，打前站。
    Wǒ men míng tiān chū fā, nǐ xiān qù dǎ qián zhàn.
    We'll set off tomorrow; you go ahead as the advance party.
  • ，。
    Tā dǎ guò yí cì qián zhàn, zhī dào gāi dìng nǎ jiā jiǔ diàn.
    He's done advance work once before, so he knows which hotel to book.
  • 打前站。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng xū yào yǒu rén dǎ qián zhàn.
    This trip needs someone to go ahead and make arrangements.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎmake
前站advance station
前qiánfront站zhànstation
偏正Modifier + head

打 means make and 前站 means advance station; the word describes going ahead to set things up.

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
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
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.

Open 打 →

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →

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