风尘 (fēng chén) — (literal) windblown dust; airborne dirt or grit; (figurative) hardships of travel; weariness and struggles of worldly life; (literary euphemism) the world of prostitution; a life of prostitution
Definition
A literary word with three layers: literally 'windblown dust,' figuratively the weariness of long travel, and as a euphemism for prostitution. HSK 7 usage stays in formal/written contexts — rare in everyday speech.
noun
(literal) windblown dustairborne dirt or grit(figurative) hardships of travelweariness and struggles of worldly life(literary euphemism) the world of prostitutiona life of prostitution
Examples
- 风尘，。Tā yì shēn fēng chén, cóng yuǎn fāng gǎn lái.He came hurrying from afar, covered in windblown dust.
- 。Tā fēng chén pú pú dì gǎn huí le lǎo jiā.He returned to his hometown travel-worn and weary.
- 风尘。Zhè ge gù shi jiǎng de shì yí gè nǚ zǐ rú hé lún luò fēng chén.This story is about how a woman fell into the world of prostitution.
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