打点 (dǎ diǎn) — to prepare/arrange (things); to pack up (luggage); to bribe (colloquial)

Definition

打点 (dǎ diǎn) covers three loosely related senses: making arrangements or preparing (e.g., packing luggage, planning a trip), and colloquially, bribing someone. The arrangement sense can take 好了 as a result complement (行李打点好了).

verb
to prepare/arrange (things)to pack up (luggage)to bribe (colloquial)

Examples

  • 打点
    Chū fā qián, wǒ bǎ xíng li dōu dǎ diǎn hǎo le.
    Before departure, I packed up all the luggage.
  • 打点
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng de shì qing dōu yóu tā dǎ diǎn.
    He took care of all the arrangements for this trip.
  • 打点
    Wèi le tōng guò jiǎn chá, tā dǎ diǎn le xiāng guān rén yuán.
    To pass the inspection, he bribed the relevant people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

arrange

The 打 of arranging and the 点 of checking combine to mean prepare or set in order.

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
Written in full asshǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
dīng
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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhàndiǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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