poor neighborhood; the poor masses
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
poor residential area where commoners lived (historical); by extension, the poor masses
archaicA historical term from the Qin Dynasty referring to the left side of city gates where poor commoners were forced to live. Famous for its appearance in historical records about the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising. Often used in literary or historical contexts to refer to the lower classes.
Chén陈
Shèng胜
、
Wú吴
Guǎng广
qǐ起
yú于
lǘ闾
zuǒ左
。
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose from the ranks of the poor.
Gǔ古
dài代
de的
lǘ闾
zuǒ左
wǎng往
wǎng往
chéng承
shòu受
zhe着
chén沉
zhòng重
de的
yáo徭
yì役
。
In ancient times, the poor masses often endured heavy corvée labor.
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Tā他
suī虽
chū出
shēn身
yú闾
lǘ左
，
zuǒ却
què最
zuì终
zhōng成
chéng为
wéi一
yí代
dài名
míng臣
。
Although he came from humble origins, he eventually became a famous minister of his generation.