拍打 (pāi dǎ) — to pat (gently, with the palm); to slap (with force, with the open hand)

Definition

拍打 covers a range from a light pat (轻轻拍打肩膀) to a harder slap (拍打水面), with the force shown by context or by an adverb like 轻轻. It focuses on a repeated open-hand striking motion, more forceful than 摸 but softer than 打.

verb
to pat (gently, with the palm)to slap (with force, with the open hand)

Examples

  • 拍打。
    Tā zhèng zài pāi dǎ yī fu shàng de tǔ.
    He is patting the dust off his clothes.
  • 拍打。
    Yú zài shuǐ lǐ pāi dǎ shuǐ miàn.
    The fish slaps the water surface.
  • 拍打。
    Tā qīng qīng de pāi dǎ hái zi de jiān bǎng.
    She gently patted the child's shoulder.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

拍pāipat
打dǎhit

拍 'pat' and 打 'hit' together describe tapping or slapping.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái拍pāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 拍 →

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 →

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