Meaning
打颤 describes the physical act of shaking or trembling, typically involuntarily. It most commonly refers to shivering from cold, but can also describe trembling from fear, nervousness, or illness. The word combines 打 (to do/strike) with 颤 (to tremble), creating a verb-object compound.
Usage
This is a colloquial, everyday verb used to describe visible shaking. Native speakers use it frequently when talking about being cold. It emphasizes the physical manifestation of trembling that others can see. Often appears with 冷得 (cold to the point of) or 吓得 (scared to the point of).
Examples
- 01外面太冷了，我冷得直打颤。, .It's too cold outside; I'm shivering non-stop.
- 02他紧张得全身打颤，连话都说不清楚。, .He was so nervous that he trembled all over and couldn't even speak clearly.
Characters
Common collocations
- 冷得打颤so cold as to shiver
- 吓得打颤so scared as to tremble
- 浑身打颤to tremble all over
Antonyms
Origin
打 serves as a general verb prefix in many verb-object compounds in Chinese. 颤 comes from the semantic component 页 (head) and phonetic component 亶, originally depicting the head shaking or trembling.