Introduction:
At first, you learn that 打 (dǎ) means "to hit" or "to strike." But as you listen to more Chinese, you'll hear it everywhere! 打 is a "light verb" – it's often used in verb-object phrases where the main meaning comes from the object, not from 打 itself.

The Many Uses of 打:

1. The Original Meaning: To Hit

• 打人 (dǎ rén) - to hit a person

• 打球 (dǎ qiú) - to play ball (by hitting it, like tennis or basketball)

2. To Make a Call or Contact

• 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà) - to make a phone call

• 打字 (dǎ zì) - to type (literally, "hit the characters")

3. To Describe Weather

• 打雷 (dǎ léi) - to thunder

• 打闪 (dǎ shǎn) - to lightning

4. Other Common Collocations:

• 打车 (dǎ chē) - to take a taxi

• 打折 (dǎ zhé) - to give a discount

• 打扫 (dǎsǎo) - to clean (Note: here 打 and 扫 are a fixed compound)

How to Think About 打:
Don't try to translate 打 directly every time. Instead, learn the whole phrase as a unit. Think of 打电话 as "to call," 打字 as "to type," and 打车 as "to taxi."

Practice:
Fill in the blank with the correct word from the 打 phrases above.

1. 下雨了，我们____车吧。 (Xià yǔ le, wǒmen __ chē ba.) - It's raining, let's take a taxi.
   (Answer: 打)

2. 请等一下，我在给妈妈____电话。 (Qǐng děng yīxià, wǒ zài gěi māma __ diànhuà.) - Please wait a moment, I'm calling my mom.
   (Answer: 打)