民不聊生 (mín bú) — the people have no means of livelihood; extreme destitution and desperation
Definition
Idiom describing a people so destitute they cannot survive, typically under war, famine, or crisis. Read as a chengyu (四字成语), not word-by-word.
idiom
the people have no means of livelihoodextreme destitution and desperation
Examples
- ,民不聊生,。Nà shí hou zhàn zhēng bú duàn, mín bú, bǎi xìng kǔ bù kān yán.At that time, wars were incessant, the people were destitute, and the common folk suffered unspeakably.
- ,民不聊生,。Jīng jì wēi jī dǎo zhì gōng chǎng dǎo bì, mín bú, shè huì dòng dàng bù ān.The economic crisis led to factory closures, leaving the people with no means of survival and society in turmoil.
- ,民不聊生!Kàn dào zhè xiē nàn mín de shēng huó, zhēn shì mín bú a!Seeing the lives of these refugees, it's truly a situation where the people have no livelihood!
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