📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a state of extreme poverty where one has no grain to cook with, leaving the cooking pot empty. The vivid image of fish appearing in an empty pot conveys destitution and hunger. It evokes the helplessness of having nothing to eat despite needing to sustain oneself.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a poem by the Song Dynasty poet Lu You (陆游), titled '独立' (Standing Alone). The line reads '羊踏寒蔬新少梦，鱼生空釜久谙穷' — sheep trample the cold vegetables, bringing fewer dreams; fish in an empty pot, long accustomed to poverty. Lu You, a patriot and poet who lived through political frustration and material hardship, used this imagery to express his deep familiarity with destitution and the melancholy of a life in want.
💡 Example Usage
他晚年穷困潦倒，鱼生空釜，连一碗稀粥也难得温饱。
In his later years he fell into poverty, his cooking pot empty and bare, unable even to afford a bowl of thin porridge.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鱼生空釜
- Pinyin: yú shēng kōng fǔ
- Literal Translation: fish, produces, empty, pot
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4