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打蜡 (dǎ là) — to wax (a surface), to apply wax

Definition

打蜡 means to apply wax to a surface — floors, cars, furniture — to polish and protect it. It is a separable verb (离合词): insert 了/过/一次 between 打 and 蜡 (e.g. 打过蜡, 打了一次蜡).

verb
to wax (a surface)to apply wax

Examples

  • 打蜡？
    Nǐ gěi dì bǎn dǎ là le ma?
    Have you waxed the floor?
  • ，。
    Wǒ shàng ge yuè dǎ le yí cì là, xiàn zài hái hěn liàng.
    I waxed it once last month, and it's still very shiny.
  • ，。
    Zhè liàng chē gāng dǎ guò là, kàn qǐ lái hěn xīn.
    This car was just waxed, so it looks brand new.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

打dǎapply
蜡làwax

“打蜡” combines “打” for rubbing or applying with “蜡” for wax, for coating a surface with wax.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蠟; 蜡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
巤
巤liè蠟là
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蠟 has 虫 (insect) and 巤 (sound); the simplified 蜡 is a shorthand.

Open 蜡 →
Appears in
Cleaning & Chores

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