suffer famine; be hard up
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
to suffer from famine; to experience a year of bad harvest
Literally refers to agricultural famine and food shortage.
Cóng从
qián前
wǒ我
men们
nà那
lǐ里
sān三
nián年
liǎng两
tóu头
nào闹
jī饥
huang荒
。
Back then, our place suffered from famine every few years.
Jiù旧
shè社
huì会
nóng农
mín民
cháng常
cháng常
nào闹
jī饥
huang荒
，
shēng生
huó活
shí十
fēn分
jiān艰
nán难
。
In the old society, farmers often suffered from famine, and life was extremely difficult.
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Rú如
guǒ果
lián连
nián年
gān干
hàn旱
，
zhè这
gè个
dì地
fāng方
jiù就
huì会
nào闹
jī饥
huang荒
。
If there is drought year after year, this place will suffer from famine.
verb
to be hard up; to face financial difficulties; to be short of money
dialectFigurative usage referring to personal or family financial hardship, often used in dialectal or informal contexts.
Zhè这
gè个
yuè月
gōng工
zī资
hái还
méi没
fā发
，
jiā家
lǐ里
yòu又
yào要
nào闹
jī饥
huang荒
le了
。
The salary hasn't been paid this month, so the family is going to be hard up again.
Tā他
huā花
qián钱
dà大
shǒu手
dà大
jiǎo脚
，
měi每
dào到
yuè月
dǐ底
jiù就
nào闹
jī饥
huang荒
。
He spends money extravagantly, and is always hard up at the end of the month.