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搭档 (dā dàng) — to work together, to cooperate; partner, collaborator

Definition

搭档 is a noun or verb meaning a close working partner — the specific person you team up with. 合作 and 协作 describe the act of cooperating; 伙伴 is a broader word for 'comrade/companion.'

to work togetherto cooperatepartnercollaborator
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 搭档。
    Tā shì wǒ de hǎo dā dàng.
    He is my good partner.
  • 搭档。
    Wǒ zhǎo dào le yí wèi xīn dā dàng.
    I found a new partner.
  • 搭档。
    Tā men dā dàng kāi le yì jiā cān tīng.
    They partnered to open a restaurant.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

搭dā
档dàng

The characters in 搭档 do not carry separate meanings here; the sound pair spells the idea of a partner or cooperating.

Sound-only characters

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
荅
荅dá搭dā
Same sound today

搭 is built from 扌, a hand, and 荅, which gives the sound. The hand part points to actions done with the hand.

Open 搭 →

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 檔; 档 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
當
當dāng檔dàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 檔 pairs 木, a tree, with 當 as the sound part. The simplified 档 is an abbreviation of 檔.

Open 档 →
Appears in
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