Definition
白手起家 is a chengyu meaning 'to build something from nothing' — it describes someone who starts a successful enterprise or career with no capital, connections, or resources. The literal image is 'starting a household with bare hands.' You use it to praise entrepreneurial spirit, self-made success, or any venture built from zero. It's often followed by 的 + noun (白手起家的企业家), or as a predicate (他白手起家).
idiom
to start from scratchto build something from nothing through one's own efforts
Examples
- 白手起家，。Tā bái shǒu qǐ jiā, shí nián hòu zhōngyú chuànglì le zìjǐ de gōngsī.He started from scratch, and ten years later finally established his own company.
- 白手起家。Zhè wèi bái shǒu qǐ jiā de qǐyèjiā zuìchū zhǐyǒu yì jiān xiǎo zuòfang.This self-made entrepreneur initially only had a small workshop.
- 白手起家，。Hěnduō niánqīng rén mèngxiǎng bái shǒu qǐ jiā, dàn zhēnzhèng zuòdào de què bù duō.Many young people dream of starting from scratch, but those who actually make it are few.
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