beg for alms; panhandle
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to beg (for food or money); to ask for charity; to panhandle
Literary or formal term for begging; often implies desperation. Commonly used with location complements like 沿街 (along the street).
Tā他
qióng穷
kùn困
liáo潦
dǎo倒
，
zhǐ只
hǎo好
yán沿
jiē街
qiú求
qǐ乞
。
He was down and out, so he had no choice but to beg along the streets.
Zhàn战
zhēng争
jié结
shù束
hòu后
，
xǔ许
duō多
gū孤
ér儿
sì四
chù处
qiú求
qǐ乞
。
After the war ended, many orphans begged everywhere.
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Tā他
nìng宁
yuàn愿
è饿
sǐ死
，
yě也
bù不
yuàn愿
xiàng向
rén人
qiú求
qǐ乞
。
He would rather starve to death than beg from others.
Jiù旧
shè社
huì会
，
pín贫
kǔ苦
bǎi百
xìng姓
bèi被
pò迫
qiú求
qǐ乞
wéi为
shēng生
。
In the old society, poor commoners were forced to make a living by begging.