xíngdānyǐngzhī

形单影只

Word · IdiomTraditional形單影隻

lonely and alone; solitary; without companion

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

1 sense · 3 examples
1.

idiom

lonely and alone; solitary; without companion

literary

Literary idiom literally describing a single form and a solitary shadow, emphasizing complete isolation. Often used for someone who has lost family or lives alone. A common variant is 形只影单 (xíng zhī yǐng dān).

Tā他
xíng形
dān单
yǐng影
zhī只
de地
zǒu走
zài在
jiē街
shang上
 。

He walked alone down the street.

Fù父
mǔ母
shuāng双
wáng亡
hòu后
 ,
tā他
xíng形
dān单
yǐng影
zhī只
 ,
wú无
rén人
zhào照
gù顾
 。

After his parents passed away, he was left all alone with no one to care for him.

Show 1 more example
Zhè这
wèi位
lǎo老
rén人
xíng形
dān单
yǐng影
zhī只
de地
shēng生
huó活
zhe着
 。

The old man lives a solitary life.