📖 Meaning
The weaving shuttles and looms stand empty. It describes a situation where production has ceased and people are left destitute with nothing at all. The idiom depicts extreme poverty and economic ruin.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Classic of Poetry' (诗经), specifically the 'Minor Odes' (小雅) section, in the poem 'Da Dong' (大东) from the Western Zhou dynasty. The poem laments that in the eastern states, both small and great, the looms stand empty and weaving has halted. The Han dynasty scholar Zheng Xuan (郑玄) explained in his commentary that the rulers' governance was biased and unjust, and the state of Tan (谭国) had no goods other than silk and hemp, yet now even the looms were no longer in operation.
💡 Example Usage
连年战乱，百姓家中杼柚其空，生活十分艰难。
After years of war, the people's homes were stripped bare with looms standing empty, and life was extremely difficult.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 杼柚其空
- Pinyin: zhù zhóu qí kōng
- Literal Translation: shuttle, loom, its, empty
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4