冷板凳 (lěng bǎn dèng) — cold treatment, being sidelined, insignificant… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An idiom for being sidelined or given cold treatment — literally 'sitting on a cold bench.' Used for someone in an unimportant role or out of favor.

noun

cold treatmentbeing sidelinedinsignificant position

Examples

冷板凳。
Tā zài gōng sī zuò le sān nián lěng bǎn dèng.
He has been sidelined at the company for three years.
。
Xīn lái de yuán gōng zǒng shì zuò lěng bǎn dèng.
New employees always get the cold shoulder.
。
Zuò lěng bǎn dèng de gǎn jué hěn bù hǎo.
Being sidelined feels very unpleasant.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

板凳stool

板bǎnboard凳dèngstool

偏正Modifier + head

冷 gives cold, 板凳 gives stool, forming a cold seat.

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.

冫令冷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

冫Written in full as仌bīngice

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng冷lěng

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

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木反板

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

反fǎn板bǎn

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

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

登几凳

Meaning part形符xíngfú

几几jǐtable; stool

Sound part声符shēngfú

登

登dēng凳dèng

Same sound today

凳 combines 登, which gives its sound, with 几, a small table or stool.

Appears in

Idioms & Set Phrases

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