bare-handed; starting from scratch
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesadverb
bare-handed; with empty hands; with no resources
neutralOften used to describe starting something from scratch, without any initial capital, tools, or advantages. Can be used literally or metaphorically.
Tā他
bái白
shǒu手
qǐ起
jiā家
，
rú如
jīn今
yǐ已
chéng成
wéi为
chéng成
gōng功
de的
qǐ企
yè业
jiā家
。
He started from scratch and has now become a successful entrepreneur.
Jǐng警
chá察
bái白
shǒu手
zhì制
fú服
le了
chí持
dāo刀
de的
dǎi歹
tú徒
。
The police subdued the knife-wielding thug bare-handed.
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Xiǎng想
zài在
zhè这
ge个
háng行
yè业
chéng成
gōng功
，
bù不
néng能
zhǐ指
wàng望
bái白
shǒu手
zhì致
fù富
。
To succeed in this industry, you can't expect to get rich with no resources.
Tā他
bái白
shǒu手
zǒu走
jìn进
kǎo考
chǎng场
，
lián连
yī一
zhī支
bǐ笔
dōu都
méi没
dài带
。
He walked into the exam hall empty-handed, not even bringing a pen.