打火 (dǎ huǒ) — to light (a fire, cigarette, stove, etc.)

Definition

Short verb meaning 'to light (a fire, cigarette, stove)'. Almost always used with the particle 了 or as 打一下火, not in isolation — it pairs naturally with 打火机 (lighter).

verb
to light (a fire, cigarette, stove, etc.)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 打火。
    Tā yòng le liǎng cì cái dǎ huǒ chéng gōng.
    He tried twice before successfully lighting it.
  • ，。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ dǎ yí xià huǒ, zhè ge dǎ huǒ jī bú tài hǎo yòng.
    Please help me light it — this lighter doesn't work well.
  • ，打火。
    Lú zi de huǒ miè le, xū yào chóng xīn dǎ huǒ.
    The stove's flame went out and needs to be relit.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎstrike
火huǒfire

打 strike and 火 fire together mean to make fire by striking sparks.

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 →

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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