also: たちんぼう
noun
streetwalker; street prostitute
Specifically a woman who stands on the street soliciting customers. This is the most common modern meaning.
夜の繁華街には立ちんぼが立っていることがある。
Sometimes streetwalkers stand in the nightlife district.
noun
being kept standing; standing around doing nothing
Describes a situation where someone is made to stand without purpose or activity. Often used in contexts like waiting for work or being left idle.
仕事がなくて、現場で立ちんぼのまま待たされた。
With no work, I was kept standing around waiting at the site.
noun
beggar; tramp; day laborer waiting for work
Refers to someone who stands around in public, either begging or waiting to be picked up for casual labor. The day-laborer sense is historically common in places like 山谷 (San'ya).
昔、山谷には多くの立ちんぼがいた。
In the past, there were many day laborers standing around in San'ya.
noun
tout for a hostess bar
A person who stands on the street trying to attract customers to a hostess bar or similar establishment.
駅前で立ちんぼが客引きをしている。
A tout is soliciting customers in front of the station.
noun
street drug pusher
A person who stands on the street selling illegal drugs. Less common than the streetwalker sense.
警察は立ちんぼの薬物売人を取り締まった。
The police cracked down on street drug pushers.
Search-only kanji form; rarely used in practice.
Derived from 立ち (tachi, 'standing') + んぼ, a suffix indicating a person characterized by the action. The exact origin of んぼ is uncertain, but it may be related to 坊 (bō, 'boy/monk') or a dialectal nominalizer.