打架 (dǎ jià) — to fight (physically), to scuffle | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

打架 means a casual physical fight between people — the everyday word for scuffling, weaker and more colloquial than 战斗 or 搏斗 (formal/combat-style fighting). It's a separable verb: insert other elements between 打 and 架 (打了两次架).

verb

to fight (physically)to scuffle

Measure word · 场

Examples

。
Tā men yīn wèi xiǎo shì zài gōng yuán lǐ dǎ le yí jià.
They had a fight in the park over a trivial matter.
打架，。
dǎ jià Jiě jué bù liǎo wèn tí, hái shì hǎo hǎo tán ba.
Fighting can't solve problems; it's better to talk calmly.
打架。
Tā shí jǐ suì de shí hou jīng cháng dǎ jià.
He often got into fights when he was a teenager.

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 or engage in

架jiàa fight

The first part means do or engage in, and the second means a fight; together they mean to come to blows.

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.

加木架

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree, wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

加

加jiā架jià

Same sound today

架 shows 木, meaning wood, with 加 giving the sound; it refers to a wooden prop.

Appears in

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