Definition
食客 has two distinct senses. In modern usage it means a diner or customer at a restaurant. In classical/literary Chinese it refers to a ‘hanger-on’ or dependent advisor who lived off the patronage of a wealthy aristocrat or noble, contributing advice or services in return. The historical sense is now rare outside historical contexts or set phrases.
n.
restaurant customerdiner(historical) dependent advisor or hanger-on on an aristocrat
Examples
- 食客，。Zhè jiā cāntīng de shí hěn duō, zhōumò jīngcháng yào páiduì.This restaurant has many customers; on weekends there's often a queue.
- 食客，。Tā xiàng gǔdài de shí yíyàng, kào biérén de zīzhù shēnghuó.He lives off other people's support, like a feudal hanger-on.
- 食客，。Nàge lìshǐ jù lǐ yǎng le xǔduō shí, wèi tā chūmóuhuàcè.In that historical drama, he kept many dependent advisors who gave him counsel.
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