📖 Meaning
To budget one's spending based on the amount of income received. It advocates living within one's means and not spending more than one earns. The principle originated from ancient state financial management but applies equally to personal finance.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Wang Zhi' (Royal Regulations) chapter of the Liji (Book of Rites), a foundational Confucian text compiled during the Han dynasty from earlier Zhou-era materials. The text describes how ancient rulers managed state finances: after the annual grain harvest was gathered, officials would calculate thirty years of reserves to plan the national budget, measuring income first and then determining expenditure accordingly. This principle of fiscal prudence was later cited by Ming dynasty officials such as Sun Yuanzhen, who advised the throne to eliminate wasteful spending by adhering to this budgeting discipline.
💡 Example Usage
居家过日子应当量入为出，不可超前消费。
In managing a household, one should live within one's means and not spend beyond one's income.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 量入为出
- Pinyin: liàng rù wéi chū
- Literal Translation: measure, income, to determine, expenditure
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4