推托 (tuī tuō) — to make excuses, to give an excuse (for not doing something)

Definition

推托 means to make an excuse in order to avoid or decline something, implying the excuse is a pretext. It has a negative connotation of evasion, unlike a neutral statement of reason.

verb
to make excusesto give an excuse (for not doing something)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 推托，。
    Tā tuī tuō gōng zuò tài máng, jù jué le péng you de yāo qǐng.
    He made the excuse that he was too busy with work and declined his friend's invitation.
  • 推托，。
    Bié zǒng shì tuī tuō, yǒng gǎn miàn duì wèn tí ba.
    Stop always making excuses and face the problem bravely.
  • 推托，。
    Tā tuī tuō zì jǐ bù dǒng, qí shí zhǐ shì bù xiǎng bāng máng.
    She gave the excuse that she didn’t understand, but actually she just didn’t want to help.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

推tuīpush off
托tuōplead

推 “push off” and 托 “plead” combine to mean giving excuses to avoid something.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī推tuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

Open 推 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
乇
乇tuō托tuō
Same sound today

托 is built from 手 (hand) and 乇, which gives the sound tuō.

Open 托 →

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