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In the following sentence:

众所周知，简体字源于历史上人们自行简化的手书体，它是以繁体字为基础的，不能打着传统文化的旗号去否认简体字。

打着 means "hit the mark", according to Pleco. 百度词典 does not have the entry for the word.

I struggle to understand the meaning of 打着 in this context, which likely is either one of the following:

  • Unless you "hit" the flag of the traditional culture, you cannot veto the Simplified Chinese. (i.e. if you "hit" the flag, you could veto it; this is from 不能 and 否认, two negation words)

  • You cannot "hit" the flag of the traditional culture to veto the Simplified Chinese. (i.e. you cannot veto the Simplified Chinese by "hitting" the flag)

  • Or maybe another meaning?

I'm not sure if 打 or 打着 (is 打着 a word here or 打 + particle?) has the positive or negative connotation in this context to begin with... It is likely 比喻 in this context.

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  • 2
    well, during cultural revolution, there was a slogan "扛著紅旗反紅旗". later, another "proverb" "唱紅打黑". anyway, the sentence quoted is, . . . clear, significant style from that area.
    – 水巷孑蠻
    Jun 24, 2018 at 18:29
  • 打 bkrs：打 I v. 1) generalized verb of doing with specific meaning determined by its object see examples 2) strike; hit 打人不对。 It's not right to hit people. 3) fight 4) construct 5) forge 6) mix
    – user6065
    Jun 24, 2018 at 18:41
  • cf. 高举。。.旗帜 hold high the banner of ,,,chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/27127/…
    – user6065
    Jun 24, 2018 at 20:06
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    You can take 打着...旗号 as a set phrase, meaning flaunt the banner of or under the signboard of.
    – dan
    Jun 24, 2018 at 23:27

5 Answers 5

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If you look up the entries for 旗号 you might get a better idea of what's going on here:

ABC

2
DEROG.
banner, flag

打着…的旗号
dǎzhe ... de qíhào
flaunt the banner of ...

PLC

NOUN
USUALLY PEJORATIVE
banner; flag

打着……的旗号
dǎ zhe … de qíhào
flaunt the banner of...

So we've now learned a set pattern or phrasal structure:

打着……的旗号.

But the definition flaunt the banner of... doesn't do much for us, so what does it actually mean?

Oxford gives us an example sentence in its entry for 旗号:

2
FIGURATIVE
pretext

打着人权的旗号干涉别国内政
interfere in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights

and there is our lovely succinct phrase: under the pretext of.

  • 不能打着传统文化的旗号去否认简体字 = simplified characters cannot be nullified under the pretext of traditional Chinese culture.
  • 打着 itself is not a word but just a combination of hold + ing basically.
  • this whole phrasal structure is derogatory by nature, but 打着 itself is fairly neutral.
  • 打着……的幌子 is another common phrase also meaning under the pretense of
  • 打着……的招牌 is another common phrase also meaning under the guise of
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  • Thanks for the great answer. Sometimes Pleco does not make sense and gets me confused...
    – Blaszard
    Jun 25, 2018 at 17:42
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'打' in '打着旗号' means 'to display/ to hold up'

打着 means 'displaying/ holding up'

旗号 (flag/ banner) is a metaphor for 'claim; declaration'

More examples:

(打着)少林正宗的招牌 = (displaying/ holding up) signboard of authentic Shaolin

(打着)燈籠 = displaying/ holding up lantern

(打着)雨傘 = holding up umbrella

(打)手勢 = (display) gesture = to gesture

I'm not sure if 打 or 打着 (is 打着 a word here or 打 + particle?) has the positive or negative connotation in this context to begin with... It is likely 比喻 in this context.

打 is the verb, 着 is a particle that indicates 'on going' status of the verb. There's no positive or negative connotation on the verb 打 (displaying/ holding up) itself

打燈籠 and 打傘 are common terms that use '打' as 'to display/ to hold up'

"不能打着传统文化的旗号去否认简体字"

"Should not holding up the banner of 'Traditional Culture' to dismiss simplified characters"

Side note: "和尚打傘: 無法無天" - "Monk holding up umbrella: no law (hair) no rule (sky)

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  • I think the original sentence means 'ought not/should not ...' instead of 'cannot ...'.
    – NS.X.
    Jun 25, 2018 at 2:37
  • yeah, base on the context, it is more like 'should not'
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Jun 25, 2018 at 3:07
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There are 20 meaning associated with 打 .

You must read the full context to derive the exact meaning, i.e.

  • 打着旗号 : carrying the flag. 打 here mean carrying， announce,

Following show examples of other context that change the meaning

  • 打着鱼丸 ：Making fish ball (a delicacy)
  • 打着球 ： playing ball
  • 打着字 ： typing using keyboard/typewritter
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  • also see comment #2
    – user6065
    Jun 25, 2018 at 11:28
  • @user6065 the comments section is not the place for answers.
    – Mou某 ♦
    Jun 25, 2018 at 12:07
  • @user6065 : be descriptive.
    – mootmoot
    Jun 25, 2018 at 12:21
  • re comment #2 to preceding answer, users note that author of comment apparently on a previous occasion expected a comment to provide answer see comment ＃５ of chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/30209/…
    – user6065
    Jun 25, 2018 at 13:06
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打着。。。去 discard, ignore, disregard

众所周知， As everyone knows
简体字源于历史上人们自行简化的手书体，
simplified (Chinese) writing, historically, had its origins in people voluntarily simplifying their writing style,
它是以繁体字为基础的，
they used traditional characters as their basis,
不能打着传统文化的旗号去
we can't ignore the traditional component (of simplified writing)
否认简体字。
deny (it is a part of) simplified (characters)

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0

No-one's actually said it so I'll point it out so it's clear - 打着 here is 打 plus a particle 着 (zhe)

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  • I already pointed it out in my answer, "打 is the verb, 着 is a particle that indicates 'on going' status of the verb"
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Jun 24, 2018 at 22:32

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