Definition
清道夫 is a compound noun literally meaning 'road-clearer'. It has two distinct senses: (1) a street cleaner or person who sweeps roads — though modern Chinese more commonly uses 清洁工 (qīngjiégōng) for this role, 清道夫 carries a slightly formal or literary tone; (2) a type of fish, especially the plecostomus or suckerfish, that cleans algae in aquariums — this is its more common everyday use. The fish is often called 'scavenger' in English. When referring to the fish, 清道夫 is standard; for a person, 清洁工 is more natural.
n.
street cleaner (person)scavenger (esp. a species of aquarium fish that cleans algae)
Examples
- 清道夫，。Tā shì gè qīng dào fū, měitiān língchén jiù kāishǐ gōngzuò.He is a street cleaner and starts work every day at dawn.
- 清道夫，。Wǒ zài yúgāng lǐ yǎng le yì tiáo qīng dào fū, tā fùzé qīnglǐ zǎolèi.I keep a scavenger fish in my aquarium; it is responsible for cleaning algae.
- ，清道夫。Zài zhè bù diànyǐng lǐ, zhǔjué xiàng yí gè qīng dào fū yíyàng qīnglǐ chéngshì de lājī.In this movie, the protagonist cleans up the city's garbage like a street cleaner.
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