搗 (dǎo) - To pound & to beat

搗Tone 3

dǎo ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

搗 · dǎo

To pound;

to beat;

to smash;

to stir;

to disturb;

to attack.

To poundto beatto smash

Usage highlights

To make troubleTo pound garlicTo pound in a mortarTo prepare medicine by poundingTo smash and destroyTo stir up trouble

Synonyms

  • 捶— to beat; to pound
  • 砸— to smash; to break
  • 搅— to stir; to mix

Antonyms

  • 建— to build; to construct
  • 护— to protect; to guard
  • 修— to repair; to fix

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She pounded the garlic with a pestle (捣蒜).
  • The children were making trouble in the kitchen (捣乱).
  • He stirred the medicine while it was heating (捣药).
  • The police raided the illegal gambling den (捣毁赌窝).

Collocations

  • To make trouble(捣乱)
  • To pound garlic(捣蒜)
  • To pound in a mortar(捣碎)
  • To prepare medicine by pounding(捣药)
  • To smash and destroy(捣毁)
  • To stir up trouble(捣鬼)

Idioms

  • To pound the enemy's nest(直捣黄龙)
  • To stir up trouble behind the scenes(暗中捣鬼)
  • To beat clothes while washing(捶胸捣枕)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted the action of pounding with a hand tool, often in food preparation or medicine making.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, many herbs were pounded in a mortar (捣药) to prepare remedies.
  • The character carries connotations of forceful action, both constructive (preparation) and destructive (attack).

FAQ