verb HSK 5
Traditional 毆打
ōu
to beat up · to assault · to batter

Meaning

殴打 means to physically attack or beat someone, typically with fists or hands. It's a formal, serious term used in legal contexts, news reports, and official documents to describe acts of physical violence. The word carries a strong negative connotation and implies deliberate, unlawful violence.

Usage

This is a formal, written term more common in legal documents, police reports, and news media than in casual speech. In everyday conversation, people might use simpler words like 打 or 揍. When used, it emphasizes the seriousness and illegality of the act. Often appears in contexts involving criminal charges or victim statements.

Examples

  1. 01
    他因殴打同事被公司开除了。
    yīn ōu tóng shì bèi gōng kāi chú le.
    He was fired by the company for assaulting a colleague.
  2. 02
    警方逮捕了那名殴打老人的嫌疑人。
    Jǐng fāng dài le míng ōu lǎo rén de xián rén.
    The police arrested the suspect who assaulted the elderly person.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 殴打他人
    ōu rén
    to assault others
  • 遭到殴打
    zāo dào ōu
    to suffer a beating
  • 殴打
    ōu zuì
    crime of assault
  • 故意殴打
    ōu
    intentional assault

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters relate to hitting or striking. 殴 (ōu) contains the radical 殳, which represents a weapon or striking tool, emphasizing violent action. Combined with 打, the term reinforces the meaning of physical assault.

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