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贪图 (tān tú) — to covet; to hanker after (sth undeserved or shortsighted)

Definition

贪图 (tāntú) means to covet or hanker after something you shouldn't pursue — comfort, small gains, fame, profit — often with a sense of shortsightedness or moral flaw. It is stronger and more negative than just 想要 ('want'); collocates with 名利, 安逸, 小便宜.

verb
to covetto hanker after (sth undeserved or shortsighted)

Examples

  • 贪图，。
    Tā tān tú ān yì, bú yuàn yì chī kǔ.
    He hankers after comfort and isn't willing to endure hardship.
  • 贪图，。
    Bié tān tú xiǎo pián yi, zuì hòu kě néng chī dà kuī.
    Don't covet petty advantages — you may end up suffering big losses.
  • 贪图，。
    Hěn duō rén tān tú míng lì, què hū lüè le zhēn zhèng de xìng fú.
    Many people seek fame and profit but overlook true happiness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

贪tāncovet
图túseek

“贪” means covet and “图” means seek, so together they express coveting or hankering after 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貪; 贪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn貪tān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貪 places 今 (open mouth) above 貝 (money); 今 gives the sound, and 貝 relates to the meaning. 贪 is the simplified shorthand.

Open 贪 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圖; 图 is its simplified writing.

  • 囗囗wéiwalled city
  • 啚啚bǐ

The traditional form 圖 pairs 囗, a walled city, with 啚, an early form meaning remote areas or territory. The simplified 图 is a later abbreviation.

Open 图 →
Appears in
Attitudes & OpinionsEmotions & Feelings

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