Preposition 打 (dǎ) for Time and Place in Chinese (HSK 7-9)

What Does the Preposition 打 (dǎ) Mean?

Most learners first meet 打 (dǎ) as a basic action verb meaning to hit, play, or make a phone call. In the HSK 7-9 grammar outline, however, 打 (dǎ) is categorized under prepositions (介词, jiècí) that introduce time and location (引出时间、处所).

As a preposition, 打 (dǎ) marks an origin, a route, or a starting point in time. In English, it translates to 'from', 'since', or 'by way of'. It carries a distinctly conversational, somewhat northern Mandarin flavor. Advanced learners need it to understand authentic dialogue, regional storytelling, and everyday speech, as well as to avoid misreading it as a main verb when another verb follows later in the clause.

Sentence Structures with 打 (dǎ)

In the examples here, the 打 phrase comes before the main predicate. It can follow the subject, as in 咱们打西门进去, or appear initially, as in 打明天起，老街就要封路. Initial position can simply establish the time or setting; it does not always add special emphasis.

When introducing a starting time, speakers very frequently pair 打 (dǎ) with 起 (qǐ) or 开始 (kāishǐ) at the end of the time phrase to mean 'starting from...'.

Introducing Place and Time in Natural Speech

When 打 (dǎ) introduces a place, it indicates either the point of origin ('from where') or the pathway through which a motion occurs ('through' or 'past'). It combines naturally with question words like 哪儿 (nǎr) or 哪里 (nǎlǐ), demonstratives like 这儿 (zhèr), and concrete nouns like doors, streets, or buildings.

When 打 (dǎ) introduces a time, it points to the moment an action or state begins. This can refer to a past anchor—such as childhood in the common fixed expression 打小 (dǎ xiǎo, 'since childhood')—or a present and future starting point such as 'today' or 'tomorrow'.

Contrasting 打 (dǎ), 从 (cóng), and 自 (zì)

Because 打 (dǎ), 从 (cóng), and 自 (zì) can all translate to 'from', choosing the right word at an advanced level depends on register and structural compatibility.

• Register: 从 (cóng) is neutral and works across almost all spoken and written contexts. 打 (dǎ) is informal and colloquial, best suited to everyday dialogue. 自 (zì) is formal and written, often appearing in news, regulations, or literary prose.
• Endpoints: 从…到… is a useful neutral frame for a range. Colloquial 打 can also occur with an endpoint, as in 打早到晚. Do not turn the preference for 从 in a formal timetable into a ban on every 打…到… expression.
• Other uses: 打 is common with times and physical routes, but also occurs in expressions such as 打心眼里, from the bottom of one’s heart. This does not make 打 freely interchangeable with 从 in every analytical phrase: 从数据来看 is a useful neutral expression to learn as a whole.

Register Contrast: Dialogue and Public Notices

The two sentences below give the same opening hours. The version with 打 has a spoken flavour; the version with 从 is a better default for a neutral public notice. The first sentence is a register comparison, not an example of an impossible time-range structure. A concise notice can also say 本馆开放时间为九点至十七点.

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