1.
to hit, to strike, to beat
To hit repeatedly or with force.
太鼓を叩く。
To beat a drum.
手を叩く。
To clap one's hands.
布団を叩く。
To beat a futon.
2.
to knock, to tap
To strike lightly to make a sound.
ドアを叩く。
To knock on the door.
肩を叩く。
To tap someone's shoulder.
窓を叩く音がした。
I heard a tapping sound on the window.
3.
to criticize harshly
To attack verbally.
マスコミに叩かれた。
I was attacked by the media.
ネットで叩かれる。
To be criticized online.
政治家が厳しく叩かれた。
The politician was harshly criticized.
叩く means to hit, knock, or beat. A transitive godan verb with both physical and figurative uses.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- ドアを叩く: to knock on a door
- 太鼓を叩く: to beat a drum
- 肩を叩く: to pat on the shoulder
- 手を叩く: to clap hands
- キーボードを叩く: to type (lit. hit the keyboard)
FIGURATIVE USE:
叩く can mean "to criticize harshly":
- マスコミに叩かれる: to be attacked by media
- ネットで叩かれる: to be criticized online
TRANSITIVITY:
Transitive verb. No common intransitive pair.