How to Write 靼 (dá) — Meaning “Dressed leather”

Imagine a leather jacket (革) being worn at dawn (旦) — that is "dressed leather" ready for the morning. The image of sun rising over leather helps link the two parts to the meaning. Also, think of the word "Tatar" (鞑靼) which sounds like "da da" and starts with this character.

Write the radical 革 on the left and 旦 on the right, keeping 革 slightly narrower so the whole character is balanced. A common mistake is to make the 旦 too tall or to add an extra stroke inside the 旦 (it should look like a sun rising above a line, not like 且). Practice the stroke order: 革 (9 strokes) then 旦 (5 strokes).

All three have the 革 radical, but 靼's right side is 旦 (dawn), while 靳 has 斤 (axe) and 靴 has 化 (change). Their meanings differ: 靼 relates to dressed leather or the Tatar people, 靳 refers to a horse's harness or a surname, and 靴 means boots. Visually, 靼's right side looks like a sun, which you can use to remember it.

靼 is rarely used alone; it appears almost only in the word 鞑靼 (Dádá), meaning the Tatar ethnic group. In history, 靼子 was used for Tartars, but today that term is outdated or even offensive. Knowing 靼 helps you read about Central Asian history or the Tatar people, but you won't need it in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 靼 include: 鞑靼 (dá dá) — Tatar; 靼子 (dá zi) — Tartar (historical term); 鞑靼人 (dá dá rén) — Tatars.