go hungry; starve; have nothing to eat
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to go hungry; to starve; to have nothing to eat
informalLiterally means 'to drink the northwest wind,' referring to the cold winter wind from the northwest in northern China. Used rhetorically to imply that without work or income, one will starve. Often carries a tone of complaint or warning.
Rú如
guǒ果
bù不
nǔ努
lì力
gōng工
zuò作
，
jiù就
zhǐ只
néng能
hē喝
xī西
běi北
fēng风
le了
。
If you don't work hard, you'll end up starving.
Méi没
gōng工
zuò作
méi没
shōu收
rù入
，
nán难
dào道
yào要
quán全
jiā家
hē喝
xī西
běi北
fēng风
ma吗
？
No job, no income—do you expect the whole family to go hungry?
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Tā他
nìng宁
yuàn愿
hē喝
xī西
běi北
fēng风
，
yě也
bù不
jiē接
shòu受
nà那
fèn份
bù不
yì义
zhī之
cái财
。
He would rather starve than accept that ill-gotten money.