跑题 (pǎo tí) — to stray from the topic, to go off-topic | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb meaning to go off-topic or stray from the subject. Insert other elements between 跑 and 题 (e.g. 跑远了题, 别跑题).

verb

to stray from the topicto go off-topic

Examples

，跑题。
Wǒ men zài tǎo lùn zhòng yào wèn tí, qǐng nǐ bié shuō pǎo tí de huà.
We are discussing important issues, please don't say something off-topic.
，。
Tā shuō zhe shuō zhe jiù pǎo yuǎn le tí, dà jiā dōu méi nài xīn tīng le.
He gradually strayed far off-topic while talking, and everyone lost patience.
，。
Zhè piān zuò wén wán quán pǎo tí le, lǎo shī yāo qiú chóng xiě.
This essay completely went off-topic; the teacher asked for a rewrite.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

跑 run and 题 topic combine to mean stray from the topic.

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

足足zúfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo跑pǎo

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

跑 combines 足, showing a foot, with 包, which gives the sound.

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 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

是頁題

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

是

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

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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