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打哈欠 (dǎ hā qian) — to yawn

Definition

A colloquial verb phrase meaning 'to yawn.' Note it splits: 打 + a/one + 哈欠 (e.g. 打了一个哈欠).

verb
to yawn

Examples

  • 打哈欠。
    Tā kùn dé yì zhí zài dǎ hā qian.
    He was so sleepy he kept yawning.
  • 打哈欠，。
    Tā dǎ le yí gè dǎ hā qian, rán hòu jì xù kàn shū.
    She yawned once and then continued reading.
  • 打哈欠。
    Kāi huì shí tā dǎ le sān gè dǎ hā qian.
    He yawned three times during the meeting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎdo
哈欠yawn
哈hā欠qiàn

打 ('do') with 哈欠 ('yawn') describes letting out a yawn.

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 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé哈hā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哈 uses 口 (mouth) to show a mouth-related idea, and 合 as a sound part. The shape of 合 may look like two open mouths, but that is likely by chance.

Open 哈 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

欠 is a kneeling person with an open mouth, shown in actions such as begging, speaking, blowing, singing, or being tired.

Open 欠 →
Appears in
Daily Routine

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