把头

把頭

bǎtóu

noun #17,767

Meanings

1 labor contractor
2 gangmaster

Characters

to grasp; to hold

Literally 'grasping head' — the person who holds control over the workers.

Examples

把头克扣了工人的工资。

Bǎtóu kē kòu le gōngrén de gōngzī.

The labor contractor withheld the workers' wages.

旧社会的把头欺压底层劳动者。

Jiù shèhuì de bǎtóu qīyā dǐcéng láodòngzhě.

Labor contractors in the old society oppressed low-level workers.

Tips

history

把头 was common in pre-1949 China, referring to middlemen who recruited and managed laborers — often exploitatively. The term carries a strongly negative connotation.

Stroke Order

把 bǎ

头 tóu