散打 (sàn dǎ) — sanda (Chinese kickboxing); Chinese free fighting

Definition

Chinese full-contact kickboxing that combines punches, kicks, and throws — a traditional martial sport, distinct from modern mixed martial arts (MMA).

noun
sanda (Chinese kickboxing)Chinese free fighting

Examples

  • 散打，。
    Tā liàn le sān nián sàn dǎ, xiàn zài yǐ jīng shì quán guó guàn jūn le.
    He has practiced sanda for three years and is now a national champion.
  • 散打、。
    sàn dǎ Bǐ sài yǔn xǔ shǐ yòng quán, tuǐ hé shuāi fǎ.
    Sanda competitions allow the use of punches, kicks, and throws.
  • 散打。
    Hěn duō wài guó rén duì zhōng guó de sàn dǎ hěn gǎn xìng qù.
    Many foreigners are very interested in Chinese sanda.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

散sànfree
打dǎstriking

散 and 打 combine as free, unrestricted striking, naming the fighting form.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →

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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