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身无分文 (shēn wú fēn wén) — flat broke, penniless

Definition

Idiom meaning 'flat broke, penniless' — a strong, vivid way to say someone has not a single cent. More literary than 没钱 (no money).

idiom
flat brokepenniless

Examples

  • ，身无分文。
    Tā zuì jìn shī yè le, shēn wú fēn wén.
    He lost his job recently and is flat broke.
  • 身无分文，。
    Nà shí hou wǒ shēn wú fēn wén, lián fàn dōu chī bù qǐ.
    At that time I was flat broke and couldn't even afford food.
  • ，身无分文。
    Bié xiàng wǒ jiè qián le, wǒ xiàn zài shēn wú fēn wén.
    Don't borrow money from me, I'm flat broke right now.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesMoney & Currency

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