投靠 (tóu kào) — to seek refuge with (someone) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

投靠 (tóu kào) means to throw oneself on someone for shelter or backing — usually in a crisis. Implies dependency on a more powerful person, unlike simply visiting relatives.

verb

to seek refuge with (someone)

Examples

，投靠。
Tā wú jiā kě guī, zhǐ hǎo lái tóu kào wǒ.
He was homeless, so he had no choice but to come seek refuge with me.
，投靠。
Zhàn luàn shí qī, hěn duō rén tóu kào qīn yǒu bì nàn.
During the war, many people sought refuge with relatives and friends.
，投靠。
Tā shī qù le yí qiè, jué dìng qù wài dì tóu kào yuǎn fáng qīn qi.
She had lost everything and decided to go seek refuge with a distant relative elsewhere.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

靠kàorely on

投 means to go to and 靠 means to rely on, together meaning to seek someone's shelter.

Characters in this word

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

扌殳投

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

殳

殳shū投tóu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, and the right part 殳 gives the sound of the character.

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

告非靠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

告

告gào靠kào

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

靠 is made of 告 and 非: 告 gives the sound, and 非 gives the meaning.

Appears in

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