How to Write 挞 (tà) — Meaning “flog; whip”

Imagine a hand (扌) holding a whip that reaches (达) out to hit a target. You can picture the whip stretching as the hand strikes, linking the action of flogging with the sound 'tà'.

Write the left radical 扌 first: horizontal, vertical hook, lift. Then the right part 达: start with the upper 'big' component (横,撇,捺) then the bottom 辶 (dotted fold, then horizontal flat and twist). A common mistake is rushing the 辶 stroke order or making the right side too tall; keep it balanced.

挞 (tà) means to flog or whip, while 扭 (niǔ) means to twist or turn, and is a common verb. 㧜 is a rare character (meaning to strike or pull) but 挞 is more specific to hitting with a whip. Visually, 挞 has 达 on the right, while 扭 has 丑 (ugly) on the right.

挞 is not very common alone but appears in words like 蛋挞 (egg tart, a loanword from English 'tart') and 鞭挞 (to lash or criticize harshly). The character carries a strong, forceful tone, often used in figurative expressions of criticism or punishment.

Common words containing 挞 include: 蛋挞 (dàn tà) — egg tart; 鞭挞 (biān tà) — to lash; to castigate; 挞伐 (tà fá) — denounce; attack.