<p>One of sense of 打 is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>与某些动词结合为复词，表示进行之意。E.g. 打扫；打扮</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It denotes the <strong>continuity</strong> of an action. So, 打坐 means <strong>sit and continue it on and on</strong>, that is, <strong>meditation</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-19T00:33:38.190Z
2018-10-19T00:33:38.190Z
dan
<p>打坐 is a whole word meaning meditation.   If you separate the character, it doesn't mean anything related to meditation.   打 as a verb means hit.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-20T12:28:09.707Z
2018-10-20T12:28:09.707Z
user3282824
<p>According to the 《佛光大辭典》,</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://buddhaspace.org/dict/fk/data/%25E6%2589%2593%25E5%259D%2590.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">打坐</a></p>
<p>指跏趺而坐 (to sit cross-legged)，使心入定 (to settle the mind)。</p>
<p>即指坐禪 (za-zen, to meditate)。</p>
<p>「打」，動作行為之意 (means to do or to act)。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>According to the 《汉语大词典》,</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/hydcd/186286i.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">打 (36)</a></p>
<p>谓从事某种工作 (to do some kind of work) 或做出某种行为 (to make some kind of behavior)。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Therefore, the 打 in 打坐 means &quot;to do&quot;, and 打坐 is &quot;to do the 靜坐&quot; (to sit still with a peaceful mind).</p>
<p>Since the purpose of 打坐 is to settle the mind, it refers to meditation.</p>
<p>(dan chose 打(38) in the 《汉语大词典》.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-20T15:34:14.513Z
Just to open a bit discussion. I think 打(38) is more appropriete. If you take 打(36), then 坐 has to be a noun word. The only case 坐 could be a noun is when it means 'seat', as in "就坐". I think 坐 in 打坐 should be a verb denoting "to sit", not a noun 'seat'. So, 打(38) make more sense here, because it can take another verb to form a compound word, as in 打扫，打扮, where both 扫 and 扮 are verbs.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-21T00:43:40.190Z
@dan Looking at the synonym「打禪」, the target of「打」should be a noun.「禪」is a noun meaning *Buddhist meditation* (see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dhyana).
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-21T01:03:00.023Z
@droooze Yeah, 禅 is a noun for sure. 坐, to sit, should be a verb. 坐 is a noun only as 座位.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-19T11:35:16.513Z
2020-07-29T23:43:40.377Z
2020-07-29T23:43:40.377Z
hinen
<p>How did the two-part compound 打坐 come to mean &quot;seated meditation&quot;?</p>
<p>What is the function of the character 打 in that compound?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-30T03:53:14.510Z
"打" in this context is equivalent to the English, "to be" Therefore 打坐, in the non-technical sense means "to be seated" However, technically, 打坐 as a compound means "seated meditation", "seated" because there is also "standing meditation" called 站桩, (Zhàn zhuāng), and Tàijí quán (太極拳) can be taken as "moving  meditation" As someone mentioned 打坐 go together as a compound because it has no other meaning except "meditation"
Wayne Cheah
<meaning-in-context><etymology>
What is the meaning of the character 打 in 打坐?
# What is the meaning of the character 打 in 打坐?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-18)

How did the two-part compound 打坐 come to mean "seated meditation"?

What is the function of the character 打 in that compound?

**Tags:** meaning-in-context, etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "打" in this context is equivalent to the English, "to be" Therefore 打坐, in the non-technical sense means "to be seated" However, technically, 打坐 as a compound means "seated meditation", "seated" because there is also "standing meditation" called 站桩, (Zhàn zhuāng), and Tàijí quán (太極拳) can be taken as "moving  meditation" As someone mentioned 打坐 go together as a compound because it has no other meaning except "meditation"  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-10-19. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

According to the 《佛光大辭典》,

> [打坐](http://buddhaspace.org/dict/fk/data/%25E6%2589%2593%25E5%259D%2590.html)
>
> 指跏趺而坐 (to sit cross-legged)，使心入定 (to settle the mind)。
>
> 即指坐禪 (za-zen, to meditate)。
>
> 「打」，動作行為之意 (means to do or to act)。

According to the 《汉语大词典》,

> [打 (36)](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/hydcd/186286i.html)
>
> 谓从事某种工作 (to do some kind of work) 或做出某种行为 (to make some kind of behavior)。

Therefore, the 打 in 打坐 means "to do", and 打坐 is "to do the 靜坐" (to sit still with a peaceful mind).

Since the purpose of 打坐 is to settle the mind, it refers to meditation.

(dan chose 打(38) in the 《汉语大词典》.)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Just to open a bit discussion. I think 打(38) is more appropriete. If you take 打(36), then 坐 has to be a noun word. The only case 坐 could be a noun is when it means 'seat', as in "就坐". I think 坐 in 打坐 should be a verb denoting "to sit", not a noun 'seat'. So, 打(38) make more sense here, because it can take another verb to form a compound word, as in 打扫，打扮, where both 扫 and 扮 are verbs.  
> **username_5**: @username_2 Looking at the synonym「打禪」, the target of「打」should be a noun.「禪」is a noun meaning *Buddhist meditation* (see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dhyana).  
> **username_2**: @username_5 Yeah, 禅 is a noun for sure. 坐, to sit, should be a verb. 坐 is a noun only as 座位.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-19. Score: 9

One of sense of 打 is:

> 与某些动词结合为复词，表示进行之意。E.g. 打扫；打扮

It denotes the **continuity** of an action. So, 打坐 means **sit and continue it on and on**, that is, **meditation**.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-20. Score: 2

打坐 is a whole word meaning meditation. If you separate the character, it doesn't mean anything related to meditation. 打 as a verb means hit.


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