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HSK 4

打折

to give a discount

verbneutral
打
dǎ3rd tone
折
zhé2nd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
dǎzhé
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
12
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 打折

打折 is written with 12 strokes (打: 5, 折: 7). The animation replays automatically.

What does 打折 mean?

打折 (dǎzhé) is a verb meaning 'to give a discount / to sell at a reduced price.'

It is neutral, everyday shopping vocabulary. The crucial trap for English speakers is how the number works: Chinese states the fraction of the price you PAY, not the amount off. 打八折 (dǎ bā zhé) means 'pay 80%' — i.e. 20% off — and 打五折 means 'pay 50%' (half price).

So a bigger-sounding number is actually a smaller discount. 打折 alone means 'there's a sale on.' Grammatically 打折 is a verb-object compound (打 + 折), so a number splits it: 打七五折 = pay 75%. Figuratively, 打折扣 (dǎ zhékòu) can mean 'to fall short / not fully deliver,' as in 服务打了折扣 (the service was compromised).

Character by character

打dǎto do; to apply (light action verb)
+
折zhéto fold; fraction; discount
=
打折

Memory hook: 折 = a fraction 'folded off' the price. 打八折 = you pay eight-tenths (80%).

Example sentences

这件衣服打折了，很便宜。

Zhè jiàn yīfu dǎzhé le, hěn piányi.

This piece of clothing is on sale, it's very cheap.

spoken

这家店所有商品打八折。

Zhè jiā diàn suǒyǒu shāngpǐn dǎ bā zhé.

Everything in this store is 20% off.

neutral

对不起，这个价格不能打折。

Duìbuqǐ, zhège jiàgé bù néng dǎzhé.

Sorry, this price can't be discounted.

neutral

会员买东西可以打九折。

Huìyuán mǎi dōngxi kěyǐ dǎ jiǔ zhé.

Members get 10% off their purchases.

neutral

Common phrases with 打折

打八折dǎ bā zhé20% off (pay 80%)
打五折dǎ wǔ zhéhalf price (pay 50%)
打折商品dǎzhé shāngpǐndiscounted goods
不打折bù dǎzhéno discount; full price

Synonyms

优惠yōuhuì

优惠 is a broader 'special offer / favorable deal' — could be a discount, a gift, or a coupon. 打折 specifically means a percentage reduction off the price.

减价jiǎnjià

减价 means 'to reduce the price / mark down,' stating the reduction directly. 打折 states the fraction you still pay (打八折 = pay 80%), which trips up learners.

Don't confuse 打折 with

折磨zhémó

折磨 means 'to torment / torture.' It shares 折 with 打折 but has nothing to do with discounts. Watch the second character.

打针dǎzhēn

打针 (to get an injection) also starts with 打 but is a medical action, not a price cut. The 打 in Chinese is a very flexible light verb.

FAQ

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