run out of fuel and food; have nothing to cook
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to run out of food and fuel; to be unable to cook
literaryLiterally means 'to have the cooking fire broken.' Often used to describe extreme poverty where a household has no means to prepare a meal. It carries a sense of desperation.
Zhàn战
luàn乱
nián年
dài代
，
xǔ许
duō多
jiā家
tíng庭
dōu都
céng曾
duàn断
chuī炊
。
During the years of war, many families ran out of food and fuel.
Gōng公
sī司
fā发
bù不
chū出
gōng工
zī资
，
wǒ我
men们
jiā家
kuài快
yào要
duàn断
chuī炊
le了
。
The company can't pay our salaries, and our family is about to have nothing to cook.
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Zhè这
diǎn点
qián钱
nǐ你
xiān先
ná拿
qù去
，
bié别
ràng让
hái孩
zi子
è饿
zhe着
，
jiā家
lǐ里
bù不
néng能
duàn断
chuī炊
。
Take this money for now; don't let the children go hungry. The family can't run out of food.