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寄人篱下

寄人籬下
jìrén-líxià
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to lodge under someone else's roof
  2. 2 to live off another's charity
  3. 3 to depend on others for shelter

Examples

他从小寄人篱下，养成了谨慎的性格。
Tā cóngxiǎo jìrénlíxià, yǎngchéng le jǐnshèn de xìnggé.
Growing up dependent on others, he developed a cautious personality.
与其寄人篱下，不如自己租间小屋。
Yǔqí jìrénlíxià, bùrú zìjǐ zū jiān xiǎowū.
Rather than living off others, it's better to rent a small place of your own.

Tips

history
From 《南史·张融传》: 丈夫当删诗书，制礼乐，何至因循寄人篱下 — a rebuke of imitating others rather than creating anew.
usage
Carries a tone of loss of independence or dignity, not just physical dependency. Often used for orphans, exiles, or poor relatives.

Stroke Order

寄 jì
人 rén
篱 lí
下 xià