Definition
过日子 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to live one's everyday life' or 'to get along in a household'. It often emphasizes managing daily affairs, especially household finances and frugality. The verb 过 can be separated from 日子 by inserting a modifier, such as a measure word and adjective (过了几天好日子 'lived a few good days') or a complement (过不下去 'cannot get by'). When used with 很会 (very good at), it implies thriftiness.
v.o.
to live one's lifeto get along in daily lifeto be economicalto practice thrift in household management
Examples
- 过日子。Tā yí ge rén guò rì zi hěn bù róngyì.It's not easy for her to live alone.
- ，。Tāmen guò le jǐ nián kǔ rìzi, xiànzài zhōngyú hǎo qǐlái le.They lived through a few hard years, and now things have finally gotten better.
- 过日子，。Tā hěn huì guò rì zi, cónglái bú làngfèi qián.She is very thrifty and never wastes money.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.