a tiny piece of land; no place to stand
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
a place barely large enough to stick an awl in; an extremely tiny piece of land
literaryMost commonly used in the set phrase "无立锥之地" (wú lìzhuīzhīdì), which means "to have not even a place to stand an awl; to be utterly destitute and homeless." It metaphorically describes extreme poverty or having no place of one's own.
Tā他
pò破
chǎn产
hòu后
，
pín贫
wú无
lì立
zhuī锥
zhī之
dì地
。
After he went bankrupt, he was so poor he had not a place to call his own.
Zài在
nà那
gè个
dòng动
dàng荡
de的
nián年
dài代
，
xǔ许
duō多
rén人
liú流
lí离
shī失
suǒ所
，
wú无
lì立
zhuī锥
zhī之
dì地
。
In that turbulent era, many people were displaced and had nowhere to live.
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Zhè这
jiān间
wū屋
zi子
xiǎo小
dé得
jī几
hū乎
wú无
lì立
zhuī锥
zhī之
dì地
。
This room is so small there's barely enough space to stand.