打工
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 5
打工 (dǎgōng) · to work part-time
打工 (dǎgōng) means “to work part-time; to do odd jobs”. It is written with 2 characters: 打 (to play (ball)) + 工 (labor). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 打工 is built
The characters
打 dǎ · to play (ball)
What 打 is made of
- 扌shǒu — hand
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 亅 — hook
- 二 — two strokes
- 丁dīng — male adult
Origin hint: 扌 gives the meaning, 丁 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
工 gōng · labor
What 工 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丄shàng — above
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A spade or other workman's tool (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
他在饭馆打工。Tā zài fànguǎn dǎgōng.He works part-time at a restaurant.
你放假的时候打工吗？Nǐ fàngjià de shíhou dǎgōng ma?Do you have a part-time job during the holidays?
Questions about 打工
What does 打工 mean?
打工 (dǎgōng) means “to work part-time; to do odd jobs”.
How do you pronounce 打工?
打工 is pronounced dǎgōng.
Which HSK level is 打工?
打工 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 5.
Related words
- 打车dǎchēto take a taxi
- 打电话dǎdiànhuàto make a phone call
- 打开dǎkāito open
- 打球dǎqiúto play ball
- 打算dǎsuànto plan
- 打印dǎyìnto print
- 打破dǎpòto break
- 打听dǎtingto ask about
- 打败dǎbàito defeat
- 打雷dǎléito thunder
Learn 打工 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 8: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.