start from scratch; build up from nothing
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to build up from nothing; to start from scratch
commendatoryUsed to describe entrepreneurial success or creating something significant with no initial resources or capital.
Tā他
shì是
zhēn真
zhèng正
de的
bái白
shǒu手
qǐ起
jiā家
，
cóng从
yī一
gè个
gōng工
péng棚
fā发
zhǎn展
chéng成
le了
xiàn现
zài在
de的
kuà跨
guó国
qǐ企
yè业
。
He truly started from scratch, growing from a single workshop into the current multinational corporation.
Zài在
nà那
ge个
nián年
dài代
，
hěn很
duō多
chéng成
gōng功
de的
qǐ企
yè业
jiā家
dōu都
shì是
bái白
shǒu手
qǐ起
jiā家
de的
。
In that era, many successful entrepreneurs built their businesses from nothing.
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Zhè这
ge个
xiǎo小
zhèn镇
de的
fán繁
róng荣
jī几
hū乎
shì是
kào靠
jǐ几
dài代
rén人
bái白
shǒu手
qǐ起
jiā家
gàn干
chū出
lái来
de的
。
The prosperity of this small town was almost entirely built by several generations starting from scratch.