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打喷嚏 (dǎ pēn tì) — to sneeze

Definition

Verbal phrase meaning 'to sneeze' — 打 here is a light verb (do/make) paired with 喷嚏. Often used with 一声 or 了一下 to count sneezes.

phrase
to sneeze

Examples

  • ，打喷嚏。
    Tā gǎn mào le, bù tíng dì dǎ pēn tì.
    He has a cold and keeps sneezing.
  • 打喷嚏。
    Nǐ dǎ pēn tì de shí hou yào yòng shǒu zhǒu dǎng zhù.
    You should cover with your elbow when you sneeze.
  • ，。
    Tā zhī dǎ le yí xià pēn tì, jiù méi shì le.
    He only sneezed once and then was fine.

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
喷嚏sneeze
喷pēnspurt嚏tìsneeze
联合Coordinate

打 (do) and 喷嚏 (sneeze) together express the act of sneezing; 喷 and 嚏 both point to the sneeze.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 噴; 喷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
賁
賁bì噴pēn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 噴 pairs 口, mouth, with 賁 for the sound; the simplified 喷 is a later shorthand.

Open 喷 →

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kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
疐
疐dì嚏tì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

嚏 pairs 口, which relates to the mouth, with 疐, which gives the character its sound.

Open 嚏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 5Illness & Symptoms

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