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骨瘦如柴 (gǔ shòu rú chái) — emaciated; as thin as a rake; like a bag of bones

Definition

A vivid idiom for 'skin and bones' — far stronger than a simple 'thin', evoking severe emaciation from illness, famine, or exhaustion.

idiom
emaciatedas thin as a rakelike a bag of bones

Examples

  • 骨瘦如柴，。
    Tā shēng bìng zhī hòu shòu dé gǔ shòu rú chái, ràng rén kàn le hěn xīn téng.
    After his illness he became so thin — like a bag of bones — that it pained people to see him.
  • 骨瘦如柴。
    Nà ge jī huang ràng cūn lǐ hěn duō rén biàn de gǔ shòu rú chái.
    That famine left many villagers emaciated, skin and bones.
  • ，骨瘦如柴。
    Jīng guò jǐ gè yuè de xīn kǔ láo zuò, tā biàn de gǔ shòu rú chái.
    After months of hard labor, he became as thin as a rake.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
叟
叟sǒu瘦shòu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

瘦 is built from 疒 and 叟: 疒 gives the meaning, and 叟 gives the sound.

Open 瘦 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
此
此cǐ柴chái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 柴, the lower part 木 shows it is about wood, while the upper part 此 supplies the sound.

Open 柴 →
Appears in
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