丰衣足食 (fēng yī zú shí) — to have ample food and clothing; to be well-off; well-fed and well-clothed

Definition

A chengyu meaning a life of plenty — 'abundant clothes, enough food.' Used to describe a prosperous, well-off life or a society where basic needs are met.

idiom
to have ample food and clothingto be well-offwell-fed and well-clothed

Examples

  • 丰衣足食。
    Xiàn zài rén men dōu fēng yī zú shí le.
    Now people all have ample food and clothing.
  • 丰衣足食，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo shēng huó fēng yī zú shí, méi chī guò kǔ.
    He has lived well-fed and well-clothed since childhood and has never suffered.
  • ，丰衣足食。
    Guó jiā fù qiáng le, rén mín cái néng fēng yī zú shí.
    Only when the country is prosperous and strong can the people have ample food and clothing.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

丰衣abundant clothes
丰fēngabundant衣yīclothes
偏正Modifier + head
足食sufficient food
足zúsufficient食shífood
偏正Modifier + head

丰衣 means abundant clothes and 足食 means sufficient food; the two ideas stand side by side.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 豐; 丰 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 豐, the drawing shows a pot full of plants above another pot. The simplified 丰 is the form you are learning.

Open 丰 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

Open 足 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →

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