搭

• Pinyin: dā
• Hanzi breakdown: 搭 = 扌(hand) + 塔 (tower, phonetic)

Meaning

To take (transport); to build; to hang over. A versatile verb for boarding vehicles or constructing temporary structures.

Most commonly used for taking public transportation (搭车、搭飞机). Also means to build or set up temporary structures (搭帐篷). Can indicate draping something over (把毛巾搭在肩上). In some regions, used interchangeably with 坐 for transportation.

Examples

1. 我每天搭地铁上班，比开车方便多了。 I take the subway to work every day — it's much more convenient than driving.
2. 他们在草地上搭了一个简易的帐篷过夜。 They set up a simple tent on the grass to spend the night.
3. 她把外套搭在椅背上就出去了。 She draped her coat over the back of the chair and went out.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你可以搭我的车一起去。(You can catch a ride with me.)
• 工人们正在搭脚手架。(The workers are building scaffolding.)

Don't Say

• 搭火车在大陆不如搭地铁常用，坐火车更普遍 (搭火车 is less common in mainland China — 坐火车 is more typical for trains)

Origin & History

Originally depicted hands constructing or joining things together. Extended to mean boarding vehicles through the idea of joining or connecting.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal