寄人篱下
jì rén lí xià
to live under someone else’s roof; to depend on others for one’s keep
Character by character
寄jì
lodge
lodge
人rén
others
others
篱lí
fence
fence
下xià
under
under
Example
他小时候父母都在外地打工，只好住在舅舅家，寄人篱下的滋味他记了一辈子。
As a boy, with both parents working away, he had to live with his uncle, and he never forgot what it was like to depend on someone else’s charity.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Describes the humiliation of living on others, not a fault in the person: 过着寄人篱下的日子, 寄人篱下的滋味. In the 《南史·张融传》 it was said of writing in other men’s shadow; today it is about a roof and a living.
Learn this in Lesson 134 · HSK 7–9: 家政阿姨与月嫂 (Housekeepers and maternity nurses)
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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