同路人 (tóng lù rén) — fellow traveler (political sympathizer who is not a party member); (figurative) a companion or kindred spirit in a shared journey

Definition

Literally 'people on the same road', used figuratively for companions or kindred spirits sharing a journey or cause. In a political context it can mean a non-member sympathizer.

noun
fellow traveler (political sympathizer who is not a party member)(figurative) a companion or kindred spirit in a shared journey

Examples

  • 同路人，。
    Tā shì nà ge shí qī dǎng de zhòng yào tóng lù rén, suī rán bú shì zhèng shì dǎng yuán.
    He was an important fellow traveler of the Party during that period, even though he was not an official member.
  • ，同路人。
    Zài rén shēng zhè tiáo lù shang, wǒ men zhǐ shì duǎn zàn de tóng lù rén.
    On this road of life, we are only temporary fellow travelers.
  • 同路人。
    Zhè xiē zhī shi fèn zǐ dāng nián dōu bèi shì wéi zuǒ yì tóng lù rén.
    These intellectuals were all seen as left-leaning fellow travelers back then.

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.

同路same road
同tóngsame路lùroad
偏正Modifier + head
人rénperson

同路 means the same road, and 人 is a person, so a fellow traveler.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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