Chinese word

打听

Pronunciation

Pinyindǎ tīng

Meaning

  • verbask about

Example

我去朋友那儿打听他的近况。wǒ qù péng yǒu nàr dǎ tīng tā de jìn kuàng

I went to a friend's place to ask how he was doing.

Illustration for 打听 (ask about)

More examples

我想打听一下邮局的地址。wǒ xiǎng dǎ tīng yí xià yóu jú de dì zhǐ

I want to ask for the post office's address.

Core concept

Turning curiosity into information by approaching a source, listening, and piecing together the situation.

Common phrases

  • 打听消息dǎ tīng xiāo xī

    ask for news

  • 打听情况dǎ tīng qíng kuàng

    ask about the situation

  • 打听地址dǎ tīng dì zhǐ

    ask for an address

Similar words

问wèn: Put a direct question to someone and hear their answer.
了解liáo jiě: Learn the details or situation by collecting information.

Definition in Chinese

向有关的人或渠道询问以弄清某人或某事的情况。xiàng yǒu guān de rén huò qú dào xún wèn yǐ nòng qīng mǒu rén huò mǒu shì de qíng kuàng

Word origin

打 (dǎ, "act") + 听 (tīng, "listen") expresses seeking information by asking and listening to relevant people or sources.

Usage tips

  • The word suits casual conversations and personal updates, while a polite softener is often added when the information concerns someone else.

Other meanings

  • find outverb
  • inquireverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word