Definition
混饭 is a colloquial separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to eat without paying or working' — it carries a negative connotation of freeloading or coasting by without contributing. The 混 part implies muddling through or getting by, and 饭 is the object that can split off: 混口饭吃 ('scrape by for a meal'), 混了一顿饭 ('scammed a free meal'). You can also use it metaphorically for a job where you just coast: 混饭吃 ('to work just for the pay').
v.o.
to eat without paying or workingto freeloadto coast through a job just for the pay
Examples
- ，混饭。Tā zhěngtiān bú gànhuó, jiù zhīdào dào biérén jiā hùn fàn.He does no work all day and just goes to other people's houses to freeload.
- ，。Zhè fèn gōngzuò gōngzī bù gāo, zhǐ néng hùn kǒu fàn chī.This job doesn't pay much — just enough to scrape by.
- ，。Tā zài zhè jiā gōngsī hùn le sān nián fàn, shénme běnshì dōu méi xué dào.He coasted at this company for three years without learning any skills.
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