单打

• Pinyin: dān dǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 单 = 口 (mouth) + 十 (ten) + 田 (field) simplified; 打 = 扌(hand) + 丁

Meaning

Singles (in sports). One-on-one competition, as opposed to doubles.

A sports term for matches played between two individual players rather than teams or pairs. Common in tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Contrasts with 双打 (doubles).

Examples

1. 她在这次羽毛球单打比赛中获得了冠军。 She won the championship in the badminton singles competition.
2. 网球单打比赛对体力要求很高。 Tennis singles matches are very demanding on stamina.
3. 他更擅长单打，不太适应双打配合。 He's better at singles — he's not very adapted to doubles coordination.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 男子单打决赛明天举行。(The men's singles final will be held tomorrow.)
• 我报名参加了乒乓球单打。(I signed up for table tennis singles.)

Don't Say

• 单打是体育术语，不用于非体育语境 (单打 is a sports term — don't use it in non-sports contexts)

Origin & History

From 单 (single/alone) and 打 (to hit/play), referring to playing individually rather than in pairs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal