挥金如土
huī jīn rú tǔ
to throw money around like dirt; to spend like water
Character by character
挥huī
fling
fling
金jīn
gold
gold
如rú
like
like
土tǔ
dirt
dirt
Example
他中了彩票以后挥金如土，不到两年就把钱花光了。
After winning the lottery he spent money like water and had blown the lot within two years.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Critical of lavish, careless spending, often for show. It describes a habit, while 一掷千金 (3-9) is one huge outlay and 挥霍 (5-18) the plain verb; the opposite is 一毛不拔 (miserly) or, kindly, 勤俭持家.
Learn this in Lesson 189 · HSK 7–9: 先花后还 (Spend now, pay later)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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