乞食 (qǐ shí) — to beg for food

Definition

A literary/formal verb meaning 'to beg for food,' mostly found in historical, literary, or journalistic texts. The everyday spoken form is 要饭.

verb
to beg for food

Examples

  • 乞食
    Tā qióng dé zhǐ néng qǐ shí.
    He was so poor he could only beg for food.
  • Nà ge qǐ gài zài jiē shàng qǐ guò jǐ cì shí.
    That beggar has begged for food on the street several times.
  • 乞食
    Gǔ dài hěn duō nàn mín kào qǐ shí huó mìng.
    In ancient times, many refugees survived by begging for food.

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