翻身 (fān shēn) — to turn over (while lying down); (figurative) to free oneself from oppression / poverty, to turn one's life around
Definition
翻身 literally means 'turn one's body over' in bed, and figuratively means to free oneself from oppression or poverty and turn one's life around. Distinguish from 翻 (just 'flip/turn over an object') and 脱身 (escape a task or obligation).
verb
to turn over (while lying down)(figurative) to free oneself from oppression / povertyto turn one's life around
Examples
- ，。Tā zài chuáng shàng fān le yí xià shēn, yòu shuì zháo le.He turned over in bed once and fell asleep again.
- ，翻身。Gǎi gé kāi fàng hòu, hěn duō nóng mín zhōng yú fān shēn le.After the reform and opening-up, many farmers finally turned their lives around.
- ，翻身。Tā yòng le shí nián cái huán qīng zhài wù, chè dǐ fān shēn le.It took her ten years to pay off her debts, and she completely freed herself.
Appears in
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