‘打扮’ (dǎ bàn) is a verb meaning ‘to get dressed up,’ ‘to groom oneself,’ or ‘to style one’s appearance.’ Though 打 (dǎ) often means ‘to hit’ or ‘to do,’ and 扮 (bàn) means ‘to disguise’ or ‘to play a role,’ together they form an inseparable compound indicating the act of selecting and arranging clothes, makeup, hair, or accessories to present a particular look—often for special occasions, social events, or self-expression.

The word emphasizes intentional effort in personal presentation, not just routine dressing. It’s commonly used when someone prepares for a date, party, interview, or performance, and can imply care, elegance, or even pretension depending on context. It’s transitive: you 打扮 yourself (打扮自己), someone else (打扮孩子), or even an object (打扮房间, though this is figurative). Unlike generic verbs like 穿 (chuān, ‘to wear’) or 戴 (dài, ‘to put on’), 打扮 focuses on the holistic, aesthetic process of self-adornment.