跑龙套 (pǎo lóng tào) — to play a minor role; to be a bit player (origi…

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)

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.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

龙套extras

偏正Modifier + head

跑 suggests running through a part, while 龙套 points to dragon-costumed extras, so it means a small role.

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

足足zúfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跑 combines 足, showing a foot, with 包, which gives the sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 龍; 龙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 龍 originally drew a sacred creature with a large mouth and a snake-like body; the simplified 龙 is the form written here.

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

套 is made from 大 (large) and 長 (long), originally for something long, with some reference to hair; it later came to mean a cover or a linked group.

Appears in