📖 Meaning
To support one's family and keep them from going hungry. It describes the struggle of earning enough to provide for one's household and meet basic living expenses. The phrase conveys the daily burden of breadwinning.
📜 Origin Story
This is a modern colloquial expression without a specific classical origin. It combines the concept of '养家' (supporting a family) with '糊口' (barely feeding oneself), the latter dating back to classical usage where '糊口' appears in texts as early as the Han dynasty. The full four-character form became common in vernacular Chinese during the late Qing and Republican eras as urbanization made wage labor prevalent.
💡 Example Usage
他每天起早贪黑地工作，只为养家糊口。
He works from dawn to dusk every day just to support his family.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 养家糊口
- Pinyin: yǎng jiā hú kǒu
- Literal Translation: raise, family, feed, mouth
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4