打
dǎ · HSK 1
generalized verb of doing with specific meaning determined by its object
✊ hand radical 扌 + 丁 (nail) — hand striking a nail
扌 is the hand radical (打 always involves the hand); 丁 originally depicted a nail and here carries the dīng/dǎ sound. So 打 = hand + nail-sound: the prototypical hand-action verb, from hitting to doing almost anything to an object.
打 — hand radical 扌 + nail 丁
打 combines the hand radical 扌 (action with the hand) with 丁 (originally a nail), suggesting striking or hitting with the hand. 丁 also serves as a phonetic hint in older readings. The meaning broadened from 'to strike' to a general verb for many hand-based actions, like 打电话 'make a phone call'.