饭桶 (fàn tǒng) — (literal) rice tub; container for cooked rice;… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'rice tub' — now used almost only as a derogatory insult for a useless, incompetent person. Stronger and ruder than calling someone 没用.

noun

(literal) rice tubcontainer for cooked rice(figurative, derogatory) good-for-nothinguseless personwaste of space

Measure word · 个

Examples

饭桶，。
Tā zhēn shì gè fàn tǒng, lián zhè diǎn xiǎo shì dōu bàn bù hǎo.
He's such a good-for-nothing; he can't even handle such a small task.
饭桶，。
Bié lǐ nà ge fàn tǒng, tā zhěng tiān jiù zhī dào chī hé shuì.
Don't bother with that useless person; all he does all day is eat and sleep.
饭桶，。
Lǎo bǎn mà tā shì gè méi yòng de fàn tǒng, zhī huì làng fèi zī yuán.
The boss scolded him as a useless deadweight who just wastes resources.

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.

饭 “rice” and 桶 “bucket” make a rice tub, then a person who seems only to eat.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飯; 饭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

食食shífood

Sound part声符shēngfú

反

反fǎn飯fàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 飯 combines 食 (food) with 反 for the sound; the simplified 饭 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical form.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木甬桶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

甬

甬yǒng桶tǒng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 木 shows wood, and the right part 甬 gives the sound.

Appears in

Kitchenware & Tableware Personality & Traits

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