Chinese word

打气

Pronunciation

Pinyindǎ qì

Meaning

  • verbinflate

Example

你能帮我给自行车打气吗？nǐ néng bāng wǒ gěi zì xíng chē dǎ qì ma

Can you help me inflate my bicycle tire?

Illustration for 打气 (inflate)

More examples

比赛前，他帮队友把篮球打气。bǐ sài qián tā bāng duì yǒu bǎ lán qiú dǎ qì

Before the game, he helped his teammate inflate the basketball.

Core concept

Adding pressure that makes a flat object firm and gives a discouraged person fresh drive.

Common phrases

  • 给自行车打气gěi zì xíng chē dǎ qì

    inflate a bicycle

  • 给轮胎打气gěi lún tāi dǎ qì

    inflate a tire

  • 给足球打气gěi zú qiú dǎ qì

    inflate a soccer ball

Similar words

充气chōng qì: Inflating something by filling it with air or gas.
吹气chuī qì: Filling something with air blown from the mouth or a device.

Definition in Chinese

对轮胎、足球等充入空气，也可比喻性地指用言语或行动鼓舞他人。duì lún tāi zú qiú děng chōng rù kōng qì yě kě bǐ yù xìng dì zhǐ yòng yán yǔ huò xíng dòng gú wǔ tā rén

Word origin

打气 (dǎqì, "put in air") joins 打 (dǎ, "act on") and 气 (qì, "air"), so a physical air-pumping action extends naturally to giving someone spirit.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect one separate verb for equipment and another for morale, but Chinese uses this compact word across both kinds of everyday situation.

Other meanings

  • cheer upverb
  • rallyverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 打气筒dǎ qì tǒngair pumpnoun

Word lists with this word