TongTong
Sign in

打嗝 (dǎ gé) — to hiccup; to burp, to belch

Definition

打嗝 (dǎ gé) covers both hiccupping and burping; native speakers usually tell them apart from context. It's an everyday verb for these involuntary body sounds.

verb
to hiccupto burpto belch

Examples

  • 。
    Tā hē wán shuǐ hòu dǎ le yí gè gé.
    He gave a hiccup after finishing his water.
  • 打嗝，。
    Tā dǎ gé dǎ le yì zhěng tiān, hěn nán shòu.
    He was hiccuping all day; it was very uncomfortable.
  • 打嗝。
    Chī fàn tài kuài róng yì dǎ gé.
    Eating too quickly makes you burp easily.

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/hit
嗝géhiccup/burp

The general action 打 combines with 嗝 'hiccup/burp' to name the act.

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
鬲
鬲gé嗝gé(r)
Same sound today

In 嗝, 口 shows the mouth, and 鬲 gives the sound gé.

Open 嗝 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.