乔装打扮 (qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn) — to disguise oneself; to masquerade; to go undercover

Definition

An idiom meaning to disguise oneself, often to hide one's identity or deceive. Implies a deliberate change of clothes, looks, or both — more elaborate than simple 打扮 ('dress up').

idiom
to disguise oneselfto masqueradeto go undercover

Examples

  • ，乔装打扮。
    Wèi le hùn jìn huì chǎng, tā bù dé bù qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn chéng bǎo ān.
    To sneak into the venue, he had no choice but to disguise himself as a security guard.
  • 乔装打扮，。
    Diàn yǐng lǐ nà ge zhēn tàn qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn chéng shāng rén, diào chá àn jiàn.
    In the movie, the detective disguised himself as a businessman to investigate the case.
  • 乔装打扮，。
    Zuì fàn suī rán qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn, dàn zuì hòu hái shì bèi rèn chū lái le.
    The criminal disguised himself, but was still recognized in the end.

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.

乔装disguise
乔qiáopretend装zhuāngdress
偏正Modifier + head
打扮dress up
打dǎmake扮bàndress
偏正Modifier + head

乔装 (pretend-dress) and 打扮 (make-up) combine to mean disguise oneself.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 喬; 乔 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 喬 was built by adding a distinguishing mark to an older character for 'tall'; the simplified 乔 is just a later shorthand.

Open 乔 →

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 裝; 装 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
壯
壯zhuàng裝zhuāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 裝 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 壯 as a sound part; this story is about 裝, not the simplified 装.

Open 装 →

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
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn扮bàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扮 pairs 扌 (hand, written in full as 手) with 分, which gives its sound.

Open 扮 →

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