挥金如土 (huī jīn rú tǔ) — (idiom) to spend money like water, to throw money around

Definition

A vivid chengyu meaning 'to spend money like dirt' — extremely wasteful with cash, even more forceful than 浪费. Strongly negative, used to criticize lavish, reckless spending.

idiom
to spend money like waterto throw money around

Examples

  • 挥金如土，。
    Tā nián qīng shí huī jīn rú tǔ, lǎo liǎo què yì wén bù míng.
    He spent money like water when he was young, but ended up penniless in old age.
  • 挥金如土。
    Nà ge fù wēng huī jīn rú tǔ dì mǎi xià le yí zuò xiǎo dǎo.
    That millionaire lavishly bought an entire island.
  • 挥金如土，。
    Zhè zhǒng huī jīn rú tǔ de shēng huó fāng shì, wǒ shí zài kàn bú guàn.
    I really can't stand this kind of extravagant lifestyle of throwing money around.

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 土 →

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