dǎ rén: 打人 - To Hit/Strike a Person, Assault

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• Summary: Learn the crucial Chinese term 打人 (dǎ rén), which directly translates to “to hit a person.” This entry explores its serious legal and social implications, going beyond a simple translation to cover its use in warnings, accusations, and discussions about violence in modern China. Understand the cultural importance of avoiding physical conflict and discover related terms like `打架 (dǎjià)` (to fight) and `欺负 (qīfu)` (to bully).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎ rén
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Phrase
• HSK Level: N/A (Composed of HSK 1 characters: 打 and 人)
• Concise Definition: To physically strike, hit, or beat a person.
• In a Nutshell: 打人 (dǎ rén) is a direct and unambiguous term for physical assault. It's not a neutral descriptor; it carries a strong negative connotation of aggression, wrongdoing, and illegality. While composed of two very simple characters, the phrase itself is a serious accusation and a significant social taboo in Chinese culture.

• 打 (dǎ): The character 打 is one of the most common verbs in Chinese. Its left side, the radical 扌(shǒu), is a compressed form of 手 (shǒu), meaning “hand.” This tells you the action is done with the hands. The right side provides the sound. By itself, 打 means “to hit, to strike, to beat.”
• 人 (rén): This character is a simple pictogram of a person walking, seen from the side. It is one of the first characters any learner encounters and simply means “person, people, or human.”

Putting them together, 打人 (dǎ rén) forms a “verb-object” phrase that literally means “to hit a person.” It's so common that it functions almost like a single verb in sentences.

Physical violence, especially in public, is a major breach of social order in Chinese culture. The act of 打人 (dǎ rén) is seen not just as a physical act but as a profound disruption of social 和谐 (héxié) - harmony. Compared to the Western legal terms “assault” or “battery,” 打人 (dǎ rén) carries a similar weight but is more focused on the social shame involved. Getting into a physical fight can cause immense 丢脸 (diūliǎn) - loss of face for everyone involved. It suggests a lack of self-control and civilization. For this reason, public arguments often remain verbal, with both sides aware that escalating to physical contact (动手 - dòngshǒu) crosses a major line. Furthermore, 打人 (dǎ rén) is a crime. Chinese law has specific provisions against assault, and public security cameras are ubiquitous, meaning that acts of 打人 are often recorded and lead to legal consequences, from fines to detention. The phrase “打人是犯法的” (dǎ rén shì fànfǎ de) - “Hitting people is illegal” is a concept taught from a young age.

打人 (dǎ rén) is used in very direct and serious contexts.

• As a Warning: It's frequently used to de-escalate a situation. People will shout “别打人！ (bié dǎ rén!)” - “Don't hit him/her!”
• As an Accusation: A person, especially a child, might run to an authority figure and yell, “他打人！ (tā dǎ rén!)” - “He hit me!” or “He is hitting people!” This is a direct call for intervention.
• In News and Legal Reports: Media reports on altercations, domestic violence, or brawls will use 打人 as the standard term for the act of physical assault.
• In Exaggerated Joking: Among close friends, one might say jokingly, “你再开这种玩笑我就要打人了啊！ (nǐ zài kāi zhè zhǒng wánxiào wǒ jiù yào dǎ rén le a!)” - “If you make that kind of joke again, I'm gonna hit someone!” The context and tone make it clear that it's not a real threat.

Example 1:

• 老师，他打人！
• Pinyin: Lǎoshī, tā dǎ rén!
• English: Teacher, he hit me!
• Analysis: A classic example of a child reporting another child's transgression. It's a direct and serious accusation.

Example 2:

• 在任何情况下，打人都是不对的。
• Pinyin: Zài rènhé qíngkuàng xià, dǎ rén dōu shì bùduì de.
• English: Under any circumstances, hitting people is wrong.
• Analysis: Here, 打人 acts as the subject of the sentence, treated as a general concept. This is a common way to state a moral or legal principle.

Example 3:

• 你为什么打人？快跟他道歉！
• Pinyin: Nǐ wèishéme dǎ rén? Kuài gēn tā dàoqiàn!
• English: Why did you hit him? Apologize to him right now!
• Analysis: A typical sentence an adult would use to scold someone who has just hit another person. It demands an immediate reason and remedy.

Example 4:

• 在中国，打人是犯法的，警察会管的。
• Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, dǎ rén shì fànfǎ de, jǐngchá huì guǎn de.
• English: In China, hitting people is illegal; the police will get involved.
• Analysis: This sentence clearly states the legal reality in China. Note the use of 会管 (huì guǎn), which means “will manage” or “will handle it.”

Example 5:

• 他们先是吵架，后来其中一个就开始打人了。
• Pinyin: Tāmen xiān shì chǎojià, hòulái qízhōng yīgè jiù kāishǐ dǎ rén le.
• English: First they were arguing, and then one of them started hitting the other.
• Analysis: This shows the common progression from a verbal conflict (吵架 - chǎojià) to a physical one (打人).

Example 6:

• 他喝醉了以后喜欢打人，非常危险。
• Pinyin: Tā hē zuìle yǐhòu xǐhuān dǎ rén, fēicháng wēixiǎn.
• English: He likes to hit people after he gets drunk; it's very dangerous.
• Analysis: This describes a person's dangerous tendency or habit.

Example 7:

• 我只是轻轻推了他一下，我没有打人。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐshì qīng qīng tuīle tā yīxià, wǒ méiyǒu dǎ rén.
• English: I just gave him a light push, I didn't hit him.
• Analysis: This shows a person trying to downplay their actions by denying the serious accusation of 打人. It highlights the severity of the term.

Example 8:

• 不管你多生气，都不能动手打人。
• Pinyin: Bùguǎn nǐ duō shēngqì, dōu bùnéng dòngshǒu dǎ rén.
• English: No matter how angry you are, you must not resort to hitting people.
• Analysis: This example includes the related term 动手 (dòngshǒu), which means “to raise a hand” or “to start a physical fight.” The phrase 动手打人 is a very common and emphatic collocation.

Example 9:

• 那个视频里打人的男子已经被抓住了。
• Pinyin: Nàge shìpín lǐ dǎ rén de nánzǐ yǐjīng bèi zhuāzhù le.
• English: The man who was hitting people in that video has already been caught.
• Analysis: A very common sentence structure seen in news reports. Here, 打人 modifies “man” (男子), functioning like an adjective: “the hitting-person man.”

Example 10:

• 如果有人打人，你应该马上报警。
• Pinyin: Rúguǒ yǒurén dǎ rén, nǐ yīnggāi mǎshàng bàojǐng.
• English: If someone is hitting people, you should call the police immediately.
• Analysis: Practical advice that reinforces the illegality of the act and the proper response.

• Not Just Any “Hitting”: A common mistake for learners is to overuse 打 (dǎ). While `dǎ` can mean “to hit,” 打人 is specifically about hitting a *person*. You wouldn't use it for “hitting a ball” (打球 - dǎ qiú) or “hitting a keyboard” (打字 - dǎ zì). The object 人 (rén) is what gives the phrase its specific, serious meaning.
• Severity: Do not underestimate the weight of this term. In English, saying “He hit me” can range from a playful tap to a serious assault. 他打人 (tā dǎ rén) is almost always a serious accusation implying malicious, illegal violence. Using it lightly can cause major misunderstandings.
• 打人 (dǎ rén) vs. 打架 (dǎjià): These are easily confused.
  • 打人 (dǎ rén) often implies a one-sided action: an aggressor hitting a victim.
  • 打架 (dǎjià) means “to fight” and implies a mutual struggle or brawl between two or more people. If you say “他们打架了 (tāmen dǎjià le),” it means “They got into a fight.” If you say “他打人了 (tā dǎ rén le),” it means “He assaulted someone.”

• 打架 (dǎjià) - To fight. Implies a mutual physical conflict, whereas `打人` can be one-sided.
• 动手 (dòngshǒu) - Literally “to move hand”; means to start a physical fight or to lay a hand on someone. Often used in warnings, e.g., “君子动口不动手” (A gentleman uses his words, not his fists).
• 欺负 (qīfu) - To bully or to pick on. This is a broader term that can include physical acts like `打人`, but also verbal abuse, social exclusion, and taking advantage of someone weaker.
• 暴力 (bàolì) - Violence. A more formal and abstract noun. `家庭暴力 (jiātíng bàolì)` is “domestic violence.”
• 吵架 (chǎojià) - To quarrel or argue verbally. The common precursor to `打架` or `打人`.
• 犯法 (fànfǎ) - To break the law. Hitting people (`打人`) is a form of `犯法`.
• 警察 (jǐngchá) - Police. The people you should call (`报警 - bàojǐng`) when you witness `打人`.
• 和谐 (héxié) - Harmony. The core social value that public violence disrupts.
• 丢脸 (diūliǎn) - To lose face. A major social consequence for those who resort to fighting in public.