able-bodied man; conscript
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
able-bodied young man (in old times, especially one eligible for conscription)
archaicHistorical term referring to men of military service age in old China, often associated with forced conscription (抓壮丁). The term carries historical connotations of social upheaval and wartime mobilization.
Kàng抗
Rì日
Zhàn战
zhēng争
shí时
qī期
，
cūn村
lǐ里
hěn很
duō多
zhuàng壮
dīng丁
dōu都
bèi被
zhuā抓
qù去
dāng当
bīng兵
le了
。
During the Anti-Japanese War, many able-bodied men in the village were forcibly conscripted.
Jiù旧
shè社
huì会
zhuā抓
zhuàng壮
dīng丁
shì是
cháng常
yǒu有
de的
shì事
。
Forcibly conscripting able-bodied men was a common occurrence in the old society.
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Tā他
zhèng正
dāng当
zhuàng壮
dīng丁
zhī之
nián年
，
què却
bèi被
zhuā抓
qù去
xiū修
cháng长
chéng城
。
He was right in his prime as an able-bodied man, yet was seized to build the Great Wall.
Nà那
gè个
nián年
dài代
，
bǎo保
zhǎng长
men们
dào到
chù处
sōu搜
bǔ捕
táo逃
zǒu走
de的
zhuàng壮
dīng丁
。
In those years, local officials hunted everywhere for able-bodied men who had fled conscription.