dǎléi: 打雷 - To Thunder, Thunder (verb)

• Keywords: dǎléi, 打雷, to thunder in Chinese, thunder, lightning and thunder in Chinese, Chinese weather vocabulary, dalei pinyin, what does dalei mean, HSK 2 words
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese weather term 打雷 (dǎléi), which means “to thunder.” This guide breaks down the characters 打 (to strike) and 雷 (thunder), explores its cultural significance through figures like the Duke of Thunder (雷公), and provides numerous practical example sentences. Discover how to correctly use 打雷 to talk about thunderstorms and avoid common mistakes English speakers make.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎ léi
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Phrase (functions as an intransitive verb)
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To thunder; for thunder to sound.
• In a Nutshell: 打雷 (dǎléi) is the most common and direct way to say “to thunder” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a verb-object phrase, literally meaning “to strike thunder.” You use it to describe the sound and action of thunder during a storm. It's a fundamental vocabulary word for talking about the weather.

• 打 (dǎ): This character means “to hit,” “to strike,” or “to beat.” The left part (扌) is the “hand radical,” indicating an action done with the hand. It's one of the most versatile verbs in Chinese, found in words like “to make a phone call” (打电话) and “to play basketball” (打篮球).
• 雷 (léi): This character means “thunder.” The top part, 雨 (yǔ), is the character for “rain,” signifying its connection to weather. The bottom part, 田 (tián), originally represented the rumbling, field-shaking sound of thunder under the rain clouds.
• The two characters combine vividly: 打 (to strike) + 雷 (thunder) creates the action “to strike thunder,” which is how Chinese describes the phenomenon of thundering.

In Chinese culture, thunder is more than just a weather event; it's often seen as a manifestation of heavenly power and justice.

• The Duke of Thunder (雷公, Léi Gōng): In Chinese mythology, thunder is controlled by a deity named 雷公. He is often depicted with a bird's beak and claws, carrying a drum and mallet, which he uses to create thunder. His primary role is to punish mortals who have committed secret crimes or evil deeds that human justice cannot reach. Because of this, thunder can carry a connotation of divine retribution or a serious warning from heaven.
• Superstitions and Idioms: An old superstition warns against making vows or pointing at the sky during a storm, lest you attract the unwelcome attention of 雷公. This cultural association has given rise to powerful idioms, such as:
  • 雷声大，雨点小 (léi shēng dà, yǔ diǎn xiǎo): “Loud thunder, small raindrops.” This is a very common idiom used to describe something that seems threatening or significant at first but ultimately has little substance or effect. It's the perfect equivalent of the English phrase “all talk and no action.”
• Comparison to Western Culture: While Western cultures have figures like Thor or Zeus who wield thunder and lightning, the Chinese concept of 雷公 is more specifically tied to moral justice and the punishment of hidden sins. Thunder isn't just a display of raw power; it's a cosmic court of law in action.

打雷 (dǎléi) is a common, neutral term used in everyday life.

• Weather Forecasts: It's a standard term you will hear in weather reports, often in the phrase “thunderstorm” (雷阵雨, léizhènyǔ).
• Daily Conversation: People use it simply to state the obvious fact about the weather. For example, you might text a friend, “It's starting to thunder, I'm going to head home.” (开始打雷了，我要回家了。)
• Describing Fear: It's often used when talking about fears, especially with children or pets. “My dog is terrified whenever it thunders.” (每次一打雷，我的狗就害怕得不得了。)
• Formality: The term is neutral and can be used in any context, from a formal news report to a casual chat with friends.

• Example 1:
  • 外面在打雷。
  • Pinyin: Wàimiàn zài dǎléi.
  • English: It's thundering outside.
  • Analysis: A simple, present-tense sentence describing what is happening right now. 在 (zài) indicates the continuous action.
• Example 2:
  • 昨天晚上打雷了吗？
  • Pinyin: Zuótiān wǎnshàng dǎléi le ma?
  • English: Did it thunder last night?
  • Analysis: A standard question form using the past-action particle 了 (le) and the question particle 吗 (ma).
• Example 3:
  • 我很害怕打雷和闪电。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ hěn hàipà dǎléi hé shǎndiàn.
  • English: I'm very scared of thunder and lightning.
  • Analysis: Here, 打雷 functions almost like a noun (the event of thundering) when used as the object of a verb like 害怕 (hàipà - to be scared of).
• Example 4:
  • 因为要打雷下雨，所以今天的比赛取消了。
  • Pinyin: Yīnwèi yào dǎléi xiàyǔ, suǒyǐ jīntiān de bǐsài qǔxiāo le.
  • English: Because it was going to thunder and rain, today's game was canceled.
  • Analysis: This shows how 打雷 is used in a cause-and-effect sentence structure with 因为…所以… (yīnwèi…suǒyǐ… - because…so…).
• Example 5:
  • 你听，雷打得好大声啊！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ tīng, léi dǎ de hǎo dàshēng a!
  • English: Listen, the thunder is so loud!
  • Analysis: This sentence demonstrates the verb-object structure. You can separate 打 and 雷 to describe how the thunder is striking, using a degree complement (得 + adjective).
• Example 6:
  • 天气预报说今天下午有雷阵雨。
  • Pinyin: Tiānqì yùbào shuō jīntiān xiàwǔ yǒu léizhènyǔ.
  • English: The weather forecast says there will be a thunderstorm this afternoon.
  • Analysis: This example doesn't use the full term 打雷, but shows how the character 雷 (léi) is the key component in the word for “thunderstorm” (雷阵雨).
• Example 7:
  • 刚才那一声雷吓了我一跳。
  • Pinyin: Gāngcái nà yī shēng léi xià le wǒ yī tiào.
  • English: That clap of thunder just now startled me.
  • Analysis: This uses 雷 (léi) with the measure word 声 (shēng - sound) to mean “a clap of thunder.” This is different from the action of thundering.
• Example 8:
  • 他的计划不过是雷声大，雨点小。
  • Pinyin: Tā de jìhuà bùguò shì léishēng dà, yǔdiǎn xiǎo.
  • English: His plan is nothing but all talk and no action.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the popular idiom, used figuratively to describe something that sounds impressive but lacks substance.
• Example 9:
  • 别担心，只是打雷而已，我们很安全。
  • Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, zhǐshì dǎléi éryǐ, wǒmen hěn ānquán.
  • English: Don't worry, it's just thundering, we are very safe.
  • Analysis: 只是…而已 (zhǐshì…éryǐ) is a useful pattern meaning “it's just…” or “only,” used here to downplay the situation.
• Example 10:
  • 天阴沉沉的，看起来马上就要打雷了。
  • Pinyin: Tiān yīnchénchén de, kànqǐlái mǎshàng jiù yào dǎléi le.
  • English: The sky is gloomy, it looks like it's about to thunder any second.
  • Analysis: The structure 马上就要…了 (mǎshàng jiù yào…le) indicates an action that is imminent.

• It's a Verb-Object Phrase, Not a Simple Verb: This is the most critical point. The subject of 打雷 is almost always an implied “the sky” (天). An individual person cannot 打雷.
  • Incorrect: `我打雷。` (This would mean “I strike the thunder,” which is nonsensical).
  • Correct: `外面在打雷。` (It's thundering outside.)
• Don't Confuse the Action with the Sound: English uses “thunder” as both a verb (“it thunders”) and a noun (“I heard the thunder”). In Chinese, this is distinct.
  • 打雷 (dǎléi): The action of thundering (verb).
  • 雷声 (léishēng): The sound of thunder (noun).
  • Incorrect: `我听到了一个打雷。`
  • Correct: `我听到了雷声。` (I heard the sound of thunder.)
• Separating the Verb and Object: Because it's a V-O phrase, you can place complements between 打 and 雷, although this is less common than describing the result. The more natural way is to use the pattern: `雷 + 打 + 得 + [adjective]`.
  • Example: `今天的雷打得特别响。` (Today's thunder is especially loud.)

• 闪电 (shǎndiàn) - Lightning. The visual companion to thunder. The common phrase is 又打雷又闪电 (yòu dǎléi yòu shǎndiàn) - “thundering and lightning.”
• 雷声 (léishēng) - The sound of thunder (noun). Use this when you want to talk about hearing thunder, not the action itself.
• 雷阵雨 (léizhènyǔ) - Thunderstorm. A noun for the entire weather event.
• 下雨 (xiàyǔ) - To rain. Another very common verb-object weather term (lit. “down rain”).
• 刮风 (guāfēng) - To be windy. Another verb-object weather term (lit. “blow wind”).
• 天气 (tiānqì) - Weather. The general topic under which 打雷 falls.
• 雷公 (Léi Gōng) - Duke of Thunder. The mythological deity associated with thunder and justice.
• 晴天 (qíngtiān) - Sunny day. The opposite of a stormy day.