忙里偷闲 (máng lǐ tōu xián) — to snatch a little leisure from a busy life; to take a break from a hectic schedule

Definition

A chengyu meaning to steal a moment of leisure from a busy schedule. It paints deliberately snatching free time despite being busy.

idiom
to snatch a little leisure from a busy lifeto take a break from a hectic schedule

Examples

  • ，忙里偷闲。
    Suī rán gōng zuò hěn máng, dàn tā jīng cháng máng lǐ tōu xián qù jiàn shēn fáng.
    Although work is very busy, she often finds time to go to the gym.
  • 忙里偷闲。
    Tā máng lǐ tōu xián kàn le yí huì r xiǎo shuō.
    He squeezed in a little time to read a novel.
  • 忙里偷闲。
    Zhōu mò wǒ men máng lǐ tōu xián qù gōng yuán sàn bù.
    On weekends we take a break from our busy lives to go for a walk in the park.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

忙里inside busyness
忙mángbusy里lǐinside
偏正Modifier + head
偷闲steal leisure
偷tōusteal闲xiánleisure
动宾Verb + object

In 忙里, inside busyness, one 偷闲, steals leisure, expressing a break from a hectic life.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忙máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忙 pairs 忄 (heart) with 亡, which gives the sound.

Open 忙 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
俞
俞yú偷tōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 亻, a standing person, points to the idea of someone doing the act, while the right part 俞 gives the character its sound.

Open 偷 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 閒; 闲 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 閒 puts 月 (moon) inside 門 (door), as if moonlight peeks through a door; this picture gives the idea of a gap or space. The simplified 闲 is a later abbreviation.

Open 闲 →

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