自食其力 (zì shí qí lì) — to earn one's own living; to be self-supporting

Definition

Examples

• 毕业后，他开始自食其力，不再向父母要钱。
  Bì yè hòu, tā kāi shǐ zì shí qí lì, bú zài xiàng fù mǔ yào qián.
  After graduation, he started earning his own living and no longer asked his parents for money.
• 我们应当鼓励年轻人学会自食其力。
  Wǒ men yīng dāng gǔ lì nián qīng rén xué huì zì shí qí lì.
  We should encourage young people to learn to be self-supporting.
• 他虽然年纪小，但已经能够自食其力了。
  Tā suī rán nián jì xiǎo, dàn yǐ jīng néng gòu zì shí qí lì le.
  Although he is young, he is already able to earn his own living.