孤苦伶仃 (gū kǔ líng dīng) — (idiom) solitary and destitute, alone and helpless
Definition
Chengyu for someone who is utterly alone with no one to rely on — not just single, but destitute and helpless. Carries a strong literary, sorrowful tone; not used in casual speech.
idiom
solitary and destitutealone and helpless
Examples
- ，孤苦伶仃。Tā cóng xiǎo jiù shī qù le fù mǔ, gū kǔ líng dīng dì zài gū ér yuàn zhǎng dà.He lost his parents as a child and grew up solitary and destitute in an orphanage.
- ，孤苦伶仃。Nà wèi lǎo rén wú ér wú nǚ, wǎn nián shēng huó zhēn gū kǔ líng dīng.That elderly person has no children, and his late life is truly solitary and destitute.
- 孤苦伶仃，。Zhè zhī liú làng gǒu kàn qǐ lái gū kǔ líng dīng, zhēn kě lián.This stray dog looks alone and helpless, really pitiable.
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