Las construcciones con el verbo soporte da (打 “golpear”) en chino

The aim of this paper is to explore the semantic usage of da (打) in the constructions in which it performs the function of a light verb. First we build a corpus that includes several hundreds of examplesof this construction. Then, we classify them onomasiologically and analyze their traditional and contemporary usages from a semantic perspective, taking into account etymological, historical and anthropological factors. We also try to explore the relationship between cultural history and linguistic evolution through the multiple uses of da as a light verb. The analysis shows that linguistically, da has undergone profound changes and has become such a highly productive support verb. In addition, new constructions are still emerging, and this tendency will continue to increase. Finally, we put forward some proposals concerning how to teach effectively these constructions in the classof Chinese as a foreign language.