打落 (dǎ luò) — (colloquial) to ask the price of merchandise without any intention to buy

Definition

打落 is a colloquial verb for window-shopping — asking the price of something you have no intention of buying. Often used in 打了N次落 to count how many times you asked.

verb
(colloquial) to ask the price of merchandise without any intention to buy

Examples

  • 打落，。
    Tā měi cì lái dōu zhǐ shì dǎ luò, cóng lái bù mǎi.
    Every time he comes, he just asks about prices without buying anything.
  • ，。
    Wǒ guàng le yí xià wǔ, dǎ le sān cì luò.
    I window-shopped all afternoon and asked about prices three times without buying.
  • 打落，。
    Bié dǎ luò le, xǐ huan jiù mǎi ba.
    Don't just ask about prices — if you like it, buy it.

Origin

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 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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