一路货 (yī lù huò) — birds of a feather (derogatory); people of the same ilk

Definition

A derogatory noun for people of the same bad kind — usually said that two or more people are 一路货 to accuse them of sharing the same faults. Always negative in tone, unlike neutral 'of the same type'.

noun
birds of a feather (derogatory)people of the same ilk

Examples

  • 一路货，。
    Tā hé nà ge piàn zi shì yī lù huò, dōu bú shì hǎo rén.
    He and that swindler are birds of a feather; neither of them is a good person.
  • 一路货，。
    Zhè liǎng gè zhèng kè bú guò shì yī lù huò, gēn běn bú zài hu lǎo bǎi xìng.
    These two politicians are just birds of a feather; they don't care about ordinary people at all.
  • ，一路货。
    Bié gēn tā men lái wǎng, tā men dōu shì yī lù huò.
    Don't associate with them; they're all the same kind.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

一路one route
一yīone路lùroute
偏正Modifier + head
货huògoods

一路 with 货 means the same sort.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →

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