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打招呼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
打招呼dǎzhāohuto greet sb by word or actionHSK 4, v, rank #5296, Hard
打招呼dǎzhāohuto give prior noticeHSK 4, v, rank #5296, Hard
dǎzhāohu(da3zhao1hu5) T3
  1. 1to greet sb by word or action
  2. 2to give prior notice
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March 24, 2026
打招呼dǎzhāohu(da3zhao1hu5)

打招呼 (dǎ zhāohū) means to greet someone verbally or through gestures, often to acknowledge their presence. It can also refer to giving someone prior notice about something, making it a versatile phrase in social and formal contexts.

Frequency#5296DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, greeting someone appropriately is important for maintaining relationships, and 打招呼 is a common way to show respect or acknowledgment in both casual and professional settings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person waving hello (打) while shouting (招) to get someone's attention, combining both action and words to create a greeting. The sound 'da' can remind you of 'dance' as you wave, while 'zhao' sounds like 'shout' to signify greeting.

Meanings of 打招呼

dǎzhāohu(da3zhao1hu5)
1to greet sb by word or action
2to give prior notice
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About 打招呼

打招呼Simplified
Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5296Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 打招呼

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Podcast: 打招呼

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AI Study Notes for 打招呼

Quick Contrast

问候 (wènhòu) - use 打招呼 for casual greetings, while 问候 is more formal or conveys concern.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person waving hello (打) while shouting (招) to get someone's attention, combining both action and words to create a greeting. The sound 'da' can remind you of 'dance' as you wave, while 'zhao' sounds like 'shout' to signify greeting.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include using this expression in overly formal situations where a simple 'hello' suffices. It's generally informal, so avoid using it in very serious contexts. A common collocation is '打招呼' with friends or colleagues.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 打招呼 connects well with other social interaction terms like 见面 (jiànmiàn, to meet) and 问候 (wènhòu, to inquire after someone's well-being). Students should focus on recognizing its use in dialogues and practicing it in different scenarios.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, greeting someone appropriately is important for maintaining relationships, and 打招呼 is a common way to show respect or acknowledgment in both casual and professional settings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 打招呼 with simply saying hello, neglecting the action component. For example, saying '我打招呼' (I greet) without any physical gesture is incomplete; it should include an action like waving or nodding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 打招呼

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Component Characters

to beat
HSK 25 strokes
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zhāoto recruit
HSK 68 strokes
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to call
HSK 78 strokes
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Write 打招呼

Practice writing 打招呼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 打招呼

打招呼 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

他总是笑着跟人____。

He always greets people with a smile.

Example Sentences for 打招呼 (4)

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1
他跟顾客打招呼时直呼其名,并问他们身体可好。

tā gēn gù kè dǎ zhāo hū shí zhí hū qí míng, , bìng wèn tā mén shēn tǐ kě。

He greets customers by name and enquires about their health.
2
他向他们挥一下手,热情地笑着向他们打招呼。

tā xiàng tā mén huī yī xià shǒu, , rè qíng dì xiào zháo xiàng tā mén dǎ zhāo。

He greeted them with a wave and a broad smile.
3
他们俩都笑着跟朋友们点头打招呼。

tā mén liǎng dū xiào zháo gēn péng yǒu mén diǎn tóu dǎ zhāo hū。

Both of them smiled and nodded at friends.
4
他想用意大利语打招呼,结果却说成了西班牙语的“再见”,每次我都被逗得哈哈大笑。

tā xiǎng yòng yì dà lì yǔ dǎ zhāo hū, , jié guǒ què shuō chéng le xī bān yá yǔ“ de “”, zài jiàn ”, měi cì wǒ dū bèi dòu dé hā。

He's trying to say hello in Italian and he says goodbye in Spanish, it creases me up every time.

Cultural Notes for 打招呼

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, greeting someone appropriately is important for maintaining relationships, and 打招呼 is a common way to show respect or acknowledgment in both casual and professional settings.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, greetings may be less formal but often involve physical gestures like handshakes or hugs, while in China, the emphasis is often on verbal acknowledgment and the context of the relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions about 打招呼

It's better to use a more formal greeting in emails, as 打招呼 is typically used in face-to-face interactions.