English–Chinese
“be an extra” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinpǎo lóng tào
Example
很多学生暑假去拍广告跑龙套赚点钱。hěn duō xué shēng shǔ jià qù pāi guǎng gào pǎo lóng tào zhuàn diǎn qián
Many students work as extras in commercials during summer vacation to earn some money.
How to say “be an extra” in Chinese
“Be an extra” in Chinese is 跑龙套 (pǎo lóng tào).
Working at the edge of the spotlight in a small part that helps the larger performance succeed.
Example sentences with 跑龙套
他在独立电影里跑龙套，借此锻炼演技。tā zài dú lì diàn yǐng lǐ pǎo lóng tào jiè cǐ duàn liàn yǎn jì
He works as an extra in an independent film to hone his acting skills.
Tips for using 跑龙套
- A team member can be described this way even when the task matters to completion, because the expression comments on prominence and decision-making power rather than actual value.