跑龙套 (pǎo lóng tào) — to play a minor role; to be a bit player (originally in opera, now figurative)
Definition
Originally an opera term for a walk-on extra, now used figuratively for anyone playing a minor, low-status role with little real influence.
phrase
to play a minor roleto be a bit player (originally in opera, now figurative)
Examples
- 跑龙套，。Tā zài diàn yǐng lǐ zhǐ shì yǎn gè pǎo lóng tào, zhǐ yǒu jǐ miǎo zhōng jìng tóu.He only plays a walk-on role in the movie, just a few seconds of screen time.
- ，跑龙套，。Zài zhè ge xiàng mù lǐ, wǒ bú guò shì gè pǎo lóng tào, suǒ yǒu zhòng yào jué cè dōu bú shì wǒ zuò de.In this project, I'm just a bit player; none of the important decisions were made by me.
- 跑龙套，。Tā bù xiǎng yí bèi zi dāng pǎo lóng tào, yú shì pīn mìng gōng zuò zhēng qǔ shēng zhí.He doesn't want to be a bit player his whole life, so he works hard to get a promotion.
Appears in
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