武打 (wǔ dǎ) — martial arts fighting (in films, performances, or acrobatic displays)

Definition

Refers specifically to the staged or choreographed martial arts fighting seen in films, TV, and stage shows — the action category itself, not the martial art (武术). Often pairs with 片 or 动作 in compounds.

noun
martial arts fighting (in films, performances, or acrobatic displays)
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 武打。
    Tā zài zhè bù diàn yǐng lǐ yǒu yí duàn jīng cǎi de wǔ dǎ.
    He has a fantastic martial arts fight scene in this movie.
  • 武打。
    Hěn duō guān zhòng tōng guò wǔ dǎ piàn liǎo jiě le zhōng guó de wǔ shù.
    Many audiences have learned about Chinese martial arts through martial arts films.
  • 武打。
    Zhè wèi dǎo yǎn fēi cháng shàn cháng shè jì wǔ dǎ dòng zuò.
    This director is very skilled at designing martial arts fight moves.

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.

武wǔmartial
打dǎfighting

武 refers to martial arts and 打 to striking, together meaning acrobatic fighting.

Characters in this word

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

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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