📖 Meaning
Eating in the wind and sleeping in the open air. It describes the hardships of traveling or working outdoors in harsh conditions. The idiom conveys endurance and rugged perseverance.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a poem by the Song dynasty scholar Su Shi (苏轼), titled 'Arriving at Jun, I First Write to My Three Nephews Chi, Shi, and Yuan' (《将至筠先寄迟适远三犹子》). In the poem, Su Shi wrote of traveling six hundred li, sleeping exposed to the elements and eating in the wind. The line captures the exhaustion and deprivation of his long journey. Over time, the word order shifted from '露宿风餐' to the now-standard '风餐露宿.'
💡 Example Usage
地质队员风餐露宿，在荒野中连续勘探了三个月。
The geological survey team braved the elements, eating and sleeping outdoors as they explored the wilderness for three straight months.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 风餐露宿
- Pinyin: fēng cān lù sù
- Literal Translation: wind, dine, dew, sleep
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4