听差 (tīng chā) — male domestic servant; office attendant (historical)

Definition

A historical noun for a male domestic servant or office attendant who ran errands on behalf of a master. Strongly literary/historical — you will only meet this in period fiction or drama set in late-imperial or early-Republican China.

noun
male domestic servantoffice attendant (historical)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 听差。
    Tā yǐ qián zài lǎo ye jiā dàng tīng chā.
    He used to work as a servant in the master's house.
  • 听差。
    Nà ge tīng chā měi tiān dōu yào pǎo tuǐ bàn shì.
    That servant had to run errands every day.
  • 听差。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ xiě le hěn duō tīng chā de gù shi.
    The novel tells many stories of servants.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

听tīngawait orders
差chàerrands

听差 centers on 听 as awaiting orders and 差 as errands, so the core meaning is the action of serving.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →

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