白食 (bái shí) — free food/drink; handout

Definition

A colloquial noun for food or drink obtained without paying. Often carries a mildly negative tone (someone taking advantage of freebies, 'living off handouts'), unlike the neutral 免费的.

noun
free food/drinkhandout
Measure word · 顿

Examples

  • 白食。
    Tā zǒng xiǎng bù huā qián chī bái shí.
    He always wants to eat free food without spending money.
  • 白食。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng tí gōng miǎn fèi bái shí.
    This restaurant offers free food.
  • 白食。
    Tā kào chī bái shí guò rì zi.
    He lives by eating handouts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

白báiwithout cost
食shífood

白 means without cost, and 食 names food; together they mean free food or a handout.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →

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