Definition
卖唱 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to sing to earn money', typically in public places like streets or subway stations. The object 唱 can be separated from 卖 when adding duration, frequency, or aspect markers — for example, 卖过几次唱 ('bused several times') or 卖了一晚上唱 ('sang for a whole evening to make money'). It carries a connotation of modest, often unaccompanied performance, and is distinct from formal stage performances.
v.o.
to sing for a living (especially on the street or in public places)
Examples
- 卖唱，。Tā zài tiānqiáo shàng mài chàng, yì tiān néng zhèng jǐ bǎi kuài.He busks on the pedestrian bridge and can earn a few hundred yuan a day.
- ，。Tā niánqīng shí mài guò jǐ cì chàng, hòulái cái qù le zhuānyè yuànxiào.When she was young she busked a few times, and only later went to a professional conservatory.
- ，卖唱。Wèile shēnghuó, tā zhǐ néng kào mài chàng wéichí shēngjì.To make a living, he can only rely on busking to support himself.
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