报童 (bào tóng) — newsboy, newspaper boy

Definition

noun
newsboynewspaper boy
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 报童。
    Nà ge bào tóng zài jiē shàng mài bào zhǐ.
    That newsboy is selling newspapers on the street.
  • 报童，。
    Tā xiǎo shí hou dāng guò bào tóng, měi tiān zǎo qǐ sòng bào.
    When he was young, he worked as a newsboy, delivering newspapers early every morning.
  • 报童。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng de shì yí gè bào tóng de gù shi.
    This movie tells the story of a newsboy.

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.

报bàonewspaper
童tóngchild

报 refers to newspapers and 童 means child, so the word names a boy who sells or delivers newspapers.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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

  • 䇂䇂䇂chisel
  • 見見jiànkneeling person with a huge eye

The form 童 comes from a pairing of 䇂 (a chisel) with 見 (a kneeling person with a huge eye), depicting a person having an eye gouged out.

Open 童 →

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