殴 (ōu) — (bound form) to beat, to strike
Definition
殴 (ōu) is a bound morpheme meaning 'to beat/strike' — it almost never stands alone, appearing only as the first half of compound verbs like 殴打 or 斗殴. Unlike 打, it refers specifically to hitting a person violently, not general 'hit/strike'.
bound form
to beatto strike
Examples
- 。Tā bèi huài rén ōu dǎ le.He was beaten by bad people.
- 。Liǎng rén yīn wèi xiǎo shì dòu ōu qǐ lái.The two people started fighting over a small matter.
- 殴。Tā bèi rén ōu shāng le.He was beaten and injured by someone.
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 毆; 殴 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
殳殳shūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū毆ōu
Same sound today
The traditional form 毆 pairs 區 for the sound with 殳 to mark an action, to write beat; 殴 is a simplified shorthand.
Appears in
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