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投奔 (tóu bèn) — to go to (someone) for shelter or help; to seek refuge with

Definition

投奔 (tóubèn) is to go to a person or place for help, shelter, or support. Unlike 避难 (fleeing danger), it implies seeking out a specific person or haven, and is more purposeful than 藏身 (merely hiding oneself).

verb
to go to (someone) for shelter or helpto seek refuge with

Examples

  • ，投奔。
    Zhàn luàn shí qī, hěn duō rén tóu bèn le ān quán de dì fāng.
    During the war, many people sought refuge in safe places.
  • 投奔。
    Tā tóu bèn le yí wèi yǒu jīng yàn de lǎo shāng rén.
    He went to an experienced old merchant for help.
  • ，投奔。
    Shī yè hòu, tā zhǐ hǎo tóu bèn xiāng xia de fù mǔ.
    After losing his job, he had no choice but to seek shelter with his parents in the countryside.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

投tóugo to
奔bēnrun

投 means 'go to' and 奔 means 'run', so the word is running to someone for help.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
殳
殳shū投tóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, and the right part 殳 gives the sound of the character.

Open 投 →

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

奔 combines 人 (person) and 止 (foot), giving the picture of a person moving on foot.

Open 奔 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Friends & SocialTravel & Tourism

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