充数 (chōng shù) — to make up the number, to serve as a stopgap (often with the implication of being inadequate)
Definition
充数 (chōng shù) is a separable verb meaning to fill a spot just to reach the required number — always with a sense that the filler is inadequate. Insert a numeral/measure word between 充 and 数 (e.g. 充个人数, 充个数).
verb
to make up the numberto serve as a stopgap (often with the implication of being inadequate)
Examples
- ，充数。Tā gēn běn bú huì tán gāng qín, zhǐ shì lái chōng shù de.He can't play the piano at all; he's just here to make up the numbers.
- ，。Zhè cì bǐ sài wǒ men duì quē yí gè rén, zhǐ hǎo yòng tā chōng gè shù.Our team is missing one person for this competition, so we have to use him to fill a spot.
- 充数，。Zhè xiē jiù shè bèi fàng zài cāng kù lǐ chōng shù, gēn běn bù néng yòng.These old pieces of equipment are just sitting in the warehouse to make up the count; they're completely unusable.
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