dǎ kǎ 打卡 V punch a card, record presence at work by punching a time clock
dǎ kēshui 打瞌睡 V doze, doze off 打一会儿瞌睡 dǎ yíhuìr kēshuì have a doze-off
dǎliàng 打量 V measure with the eye, size up
dǎliè 打猎 V & N hunt; hunting
dǎ pēnti 打喷嚏 V sneeze
dǎpò 打破 V break 打破花瓶 dǎpò huāpíng break a vase / 打破世界纪 录 dǎpò shìjiè jìlù break a world record
dǎ qiú 打球 V play baseball/basketball/volleyball, etc.
dǎrǎo 打扰 V disturb, interrupt ■ 爸爸在写一份 重要的报告，你别去打扰他。Bàba zài xiě yí fèn
zhòngyào de bàogào, nǐ bié qù dǎrǎo tā. Daddy is working on an important report. Don’t disturb
him.
NOTE: When you call on someone, especially at their home, you can say 打扰你们了 Dǎrǎo nǐmen le as a
polite expression. You can use dǎjiǎo 打搅 instead of dǎrǎo 打扰, with exactly the same meaning.
dǎsǎo 打扫 V clean up ■ 中国人在过春节前，要 打扫屋子。Zhōngguórén zài guò chūnjié qián, yào
dǎsǎo wūzi. Before the Spring Festival, Chinese people clean up their houses.
dǎsuàn 打算 [comp: 打 act + 算 calculate] V plan, contemplate ■ 你打算毕业以后做什么？Nǐ dǎsuàn
bìyè yǐhòu zuò shénme? What do you plan to do after graduation? ■ 我不打算买什么。Wǒ bù
dǎsuàn mǎi shénme. I don’t intend to buy anything.
dǎtīng 打听 V inquire, ask ■ 您从北京大学来， 我想跟您打听一位教授。Nín cóng Běijīng Dàxué
lái. Wǒ xiǎng gēn nín dǎtīng yí wèi jiàoshòu. As you’re from Beijing University, I’d like to ask you
about a professor. ■ 你到了那里打听一下就知道 了。Nǐ dàole nàli dǎtīng yíxià jiù zhīdào le.
When you’re there, just make some inquiries and you’ll find out.
dǎyìnjī 打印机 N printer
dǎzhàng 打仗 V go to war, fight in battle
dǎ zhāohu 打招呼 V 1 greet, say hello to 2 let know, notify
dǎzhé 打折 V give a discount
dǎzhēn 打针 V give (or get) an injection ■ 病人 每天要打针吃药。Bìngrén měi tiān yào dǎzhēn
chīyào. The patient must get injections and take medicine every day.
dǎzì 打字 V type ■ 他打字打得又快又好。Tǎ dǎzì dǎ de yòu kuài yòu hǎo. He types fast and well.
(→ He has excellent keyboard skills.)
dà 大 ADJ big, large (ANTONYM 小 xiǎo) ■ 中国实在 很大。Zhōngguó shízài hěn dà. China is indeed big.
■ 我爷爷种的树都长大了。Wǒ yéye zhòng de shù dōu zhǎngdà le. The trees that my grandfather
planted have all matured.
dàbuliǎo 大不了 ADV if worst comes to worst, at worst
dàchén 大臣 N ranking official (in a royal court), minister
dàdǎn 大胆 [modif: 大 big + 胆 gall bladder] ADJ bold, courageous ■ 你可以大胆地试验，失败了不
要紧。Nǐ kěyǐ dàdǎn de shìyàn, shībàile búyàojǐn. You can experiment boldly. It doesn’t matter if
you fail.
NOTE: The ancient Chinese believed that the gall bladder was the organ of courage—if one had a big
gall bladder it meant that the person was endowed with courage and daring, and if one was timid it was
because he had a small gall bladder. Therefore, 他胆 子很大 Tā dǎnzi hěn dà and 他很大胆 Tā hěn dàdǎn means
He is bold; 他胆子很小 Tā dǎnzi hěn xiǎo and 他很胆小 Tā hěn dǎnxiǎo means He is timid.
dàduō 大多 [modif: 大 big + 多 many] ADV mostly ■ 这个国家的人大多会说一点儿英 文。Zhège
guójiā de rén dàduō huì shuō yìdiǎnr Yīngwén. Most people in this country can speak a little
English. ■ 商场里卖的衣服大多是中国 制造的。Shāngchǎng li mài de yīfu dàduō shì Zhōngguó
zhìzào de. Most of the garments sold in shopping malls are made in China.
dàduōshù 大多数 [modif: 大 big + 多数 majority] N great majority, overwhelming majority ■ 大 多数时
间这位科学家都在实验室工作。Dàduōshù shíjiān zhè wèi kēxuéjiā dōu zài shíyànshì gōngzuò.