打拍子 (dǎ pāi zi) — to beat time (in music), to mark the rhythm | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to beat time / mark the rhythm' — 打 splits from 拍子, which on its own means 'beat (in music)'. With a numeral or noun between (打两拍), it counts beats or sets a pattern.

verb

to beat time (in music)to mark the rhythm

Examples

打拍子，。
Zhǐ huī zài tái shàng dǎ pāi zi, yuè duì gēn zhe yǎn zòu.
The conductor beat time on stage, and the orchestra played along.
，著。
Tā yì biān chàng gē, yì biān yòng shǒu dǎ zhù pāi zi.
He sang while beating time with his hand.
。
Lǎo shī jiào wǒ men dǎ yí gè sì pāi de pāi zi.
The teacher taught us to beat a four-beat pattern.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

拍子beat

拍pāibeat子zǐending

后缀Suffix

“打拍子” combines “打” for beating with “拍子” for the beat, for marking the rhythm.

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.

扌丁打

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

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.

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

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

白bái拍pāi

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Appears in

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