TongTong
Sign in

荡秋千 (dàng qiū qiān) — to swing (on a swing), to play on a swing

Definition

A verb phrase meaning 'to swing (on a swing)' — 荡 takes the object 秋千, often reduplicated as 荡荡秋千 for a casual, leisurely feel.

verb
to swing (on a swing)to play on a swing

Examples

  • 荡秋千。
    Wǒ men yì qǐ qù dàng qiū qiān ba.
    Let's go swing together.
  • 。
    Tā zuó tiān zài gōng yuán lǐ dàng le yí huì r qiū qiān.
    She swung on the swing in the park for a while yesterday.
  • 。
    Wǒ xiǎo shí hou měi tiān dōu yào dàng jǐ cì qiū qiān.
    When I was little, I had to swing on the swing several times every day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

荡dàngswing
秋千swing
秋qiū千qiān

荡 names the swinging action, and 秋千 names the swing itself.

Characters in this word

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 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤒅
𤒅𤒅秋qiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 秋 pairs 禾 (grain) with 𤒅, which gives the sound.

Open 秋 →

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
一一yīone, signifying a number
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén千qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Open 千 →
Appears in
Outdoor Recreation

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.