叩く

• Reading: たたく
• Romaji: tataku
• Kanji breakdown: 叩 (kou/tataku) — strike, hit, knock
• Pronunciation: /ta.ta.kɯ/

Meaning

To strike; to hit; to knock. A versatile verb for physical hitting or tapping actions.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Used for knocking on doors (ドアを叩く), hitting or slapping (頭を叩く), tapping shoulders (肩を叩く), and beating drums (太鼓を叩く). Also used figuratively: 値段を叩く (to beat down a price). More general than 殴る (to punch) or 打つ (to strike).

Examples

1. ドアを強く叩いたが、誰も出てこなかった。 I knocked hard on the door, but nobody came out.
2. 子供の頃、友達の肩を叩いて遊んだものだ。 When I was a kid, we used to play by tapping each other on the shoulder.
3. リズムに合わせて太鼓を叩く練習をしている。 I'm practicing playing the drum to the rhythm.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, music, physical actions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 叩 combines 口 (mouth/opening) and 卩 (kneeling figure). Originally depicted the act of striking or rapping on a surface. Used since classical Japanese for various hitting actions.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal