捣 (dǎo) — to thresh or hull (grain); to pound or beat; to harass or cause trouble
Definition
捣 (dǎo) is a physical-action verb meaning to pound, beat, or thresh (grain, garlic, etc.) — and by extension, to stir up trouble (捣乱).
verb
to thresh or hull (grain)to pound or beatto harass or cause trouble
Examples
- 捣。Tā yòng mù gùn dǎo mài zi.He uses a stick to thresh wheat.
- 。Qǐng bǎ dà suàn dǎo suì.Please pound the garlic into pieces.
- 。Tā zǒng zài bān lǐ dǎo luàn.He always causes trouble in class.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 搗; 捣 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
島
島dǎo搗dǎo
Same sound today
The traditional form 搗 pairs 手 (hand) with 島 as a sound part; the simplified 捣 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the original sound part.
Appears in
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