打搅 (dǎ jiǎo) — to disturb, to bother, to trouble | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Polite word for 'to disturb' someone (as in 'sorry to bother you'). Softer than 打扰 and 烦 — used in apologetic requests, not to describe harassment.

verb

to disturbto botherto trouble

Examples

，打搅，？
Duì bu qǐ, dǎ jiǎo nín yí xià, qǐng wèn tú shū guǎn zěn me zǒu?
Sorry to bother you, could you tell me how to get to the library?
，打搅。
Tā zhèng zài kāi huì, wǒ men bié dǎ jiǎo tā.
He's in a meeting, let's not disturb him.
，打搅。
Zuó wǎn lín jū tài chǎo, dǎ jiǎo le wǒ de shuì mián.
The neighbors were too noisy last night and disturbed my sleep.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

打 adds a general action sense, and 搅 adds the idea of stirring or disturbing.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 攪; 搅 is its simplified writing.

扌覺攪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

覺

覺jué攪jiǎo

Same sound today

The traditional form 攪 uses 扌 (hand) to show the action and 覺 for its sound; the simplified 搅 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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