How to Write 鞑 (dá) — Meaning “Tartar”

Imagine a Tatar warrior wearing leather armor (革) as he marches forward to reach (达) his destination. The picture of a leather-clad traveler heading somewhere can help you link the character to its meaning "Tartar."

Start by writing the left radical 革 with 9 strokes, then add the right part 达 with 6 strokes. A common mistake is making the left side too narrow or the right side too small—keep both parts balanced in width. Remember that the bottom of 革 has a horizontal stroke that should not touch the vertical stroke of 达.

Visually, 鞑 has the right component 达, while 靳 has 斤 (axe) on the right, and 靴 has 化 (change) on the right. In meaning, 靳 is a surname or means "stingy" (rare), and 靴 means "boots"—neither relates to the Tartar people. The radical 革 is shared, but the right side changes the entire meaning and reading.

Today 鞑 is almost never used alone; it appears mainly in the word 鞑靼 (dádá, Tatar) to refer to the Tatar ethnic group or the historical Tatar tribes. The term 鞑子 (dázi) was used historically for northern nomadic peoples, but it can carry a derogatory tone and is rarely used in polite modern speech.

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