搭 (dā) is a Chinese character meaning “to put up”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 荅 (small bean (old form, also an old form of 答)), side by side, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to put up; to match”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 荅
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰扌荅；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：扌 3 笔 [0–2] + 荅 9 笔 [3–11] = 12 笔（makemeahanzi 标注形声：扌义荅声）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) on the left, 荅 on the right. Both parts are really in this character — picture a hand reaching over to hook two things together: to attach, to build, to join.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 搭配dā pèito pair up; to match; to go together搭 = dā
- 搭车dā chēto get a lift; to hitch a ride搭 = dā
Go deeper
All readings
to put up; to take (a ride); to match
to put up; to build; to hang over; to join together; to match; to take (a vehicle); to ride along
支起、架设；搭挂；连接、配合；乘坐（车船等）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 搭配dā pèito pair up; to match; to go together搭 = dā
- 搭车dā chēto get a lift; to hitch a ride搭 = dā
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 搭 mean?
搭 (dā) means to put up; to build; to hang over; to join together; to match; to take (a vehicle); to ride along.
How do you pronounce 搭?
It is pronounced dā.
What parts is 搭 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 荅 (small bean (old form, also an old form of 答)), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿰扌荅；与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：扌 3 笔 [0–2] + 荅 9 笔 [3–11] = 12 笔（makemeahanzi 标注形声：扌义荅声）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 搭 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 搭?
扌. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 搭?
Common ones are 搭配 and 搭车. The reading of 搭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.