讨饭 (tǎo fàn) — to beg for food

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning 'to beg for food / live as a beggar' — specifically about asking strangers on the street for a meal, not asking at a restaurant. Literally 'to beg + rice' (饭).

verb
to beg for food

Examples

  • 讨饭，。
    Tā bù xiǎng tǎo fàn, dàn méi bàn fǎ.
    He doesn't want to beg for food, but has no choice.
  • 。
    Tā nián qīng shí tǎo guò fàn.
    He begged for food when he was young.
  • 。
    Tā zài jiē shàng tǎo le yì tiān de fàn.
    He begged for food on the street all day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

讨tǎobeg
饭fànfood

“讨” beg and “饭” rice or food combine to mean begging for food.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 討; 讨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
肘
肘zhǒu討tǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 討 pairs 言 (speech) with a shortened form of 肘 for sound; an old reading took 言 plus 寸 (hand) as 'rectify'. The simplified 讨 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical components.

Open 讨 →

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 飯; 饭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shífood
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn飯fàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 飯 combines 食 (food) with 反 for the sound; the simplified 饭 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical form.

Open 饭 →

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