be unemployed and idle; be out of work
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
be unemployed and at leisure; be out of work and idle at home
literaryA literary term originating from an essay by Pan Yue of the Jin Dynasty. It often implies a period of involuntary or voluntary leisure after losing a job or leaving an official post, carrying a somewhat classical or refined nuance.
Tā他
cí辞
qù去
gōng公
zhí职
hòu后
，
yī一
zhí直
zài在
jiā家
fù赋
xián闲
。
After resigning from his government post, he has been idle at home.
Gōng公
sī司
cái裁
yuán员
hòu后
，
tā他
fù赋
xián闲
le了
bàn半
nián年
cái才
zhǎo找
dào到
xīn新
gōng工
zuò作
。
After the company laid him off, he was out of work for half a year before finding a new job.
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Lǎo老
xiān先
sheng生
fù赋
xián闲
zài在
jiā家
，
yǐ以
dú读
shū书
xiě写
zì字
wéi为
lè乐
。
The old gentleman, being idle at home, finds pleasure in reading and calligraphy.