票贩子 (piào fàn zǐ) — scalper, ticket tout (someone who resells tickets at inflated prices)

Definition

A colloquial term for a scalper — someone who resells tickets (concert, train, etc.) at inflated prices, often illegally.

noun
scalperticket tout (someone who resells tickets at inflated prices)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 票贩子。
    Yǎn chàng huì mén kǒu yǒu hěn duō piào fàn zǐ zài mài gāo jià piào.
    There are many scalpers selling overpriced tickets at the concert entrance.
  • 票贩子。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài dǎ jī fēi fǎ piào fàn zǐ.
    The government is cracking down on illegal scalpers.
  • ，票贩子。
    Chūn yùn qī jiān, piào fàn zǐ bǎ huǒ chē piào jià gé chǎo dé hěn gāo.
    During Spring Festival travel season, scalpers drive up train ticket prices.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

票贩ticket seller
票piàoticket贩fànsell
偏正Modifier + head
子zǐperson

“票” (ticket) and “贩” (sell) describe ticket reselling, and “子” completes the name for the person.

Characters in this word

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 𢍱𢍱𢍱to rise high

票 combines 火 (fire) and 𢍱 (to rise high), originally representing sparks rising up.

Open 票 →

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 販; 贩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn販fàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 販 combines 貝, a cowry shell, with 反 as a sound part; the simplified 贩 is a shorthand and its right side is not a historical component.

Open 贩 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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