📖 Meaning
Wearing tattered clothing and eating coarse, simple food. It describes a life of frugality and hardship, often implying moral integrity maintained despite material deprivation.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Book of Zhou (周书), in the Biography of Liu Nao (柳蚢传). Liu Nao was an official known for his unwavering integrity and simple lifestyle. The text records that he wore shabby clothes and ate coarse food yet never altered his steadfast principles. The idiom thus celebrates someone who endures poverty without compromising their moral character.
💡 Example Usage
他虽居高位，却弊衣疏食，始终保持清廉本色。
Though he held a high position, he wore worn clothes and ate coarse food, always maintaining his honest and uncorrupted nature.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 弊衣疏食
- Pinyin: bì yī shū shí
- Literal Translation: worn clothes, coarse food
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4