混饭吃

混飯吃

hùnfànchī

phrase

Meanings

1 to scrape together a living
2 to work just to put food on the table
3 to coast in a job without real commitment

Characters

to mix, to drift along

Examples

我这份工作就是混饭吃，谈不上理想。

Wǒ zhè fèn gōngzuò jiù shì hùnfànchī, tánbushàng lǐxiǎng.

This job of mine is just to put food on the table — nothing to do with ideals.

他在那儿混饭吃，从来不出业绩。

Tā zài nàr hùnfànchī, cónglái bù chū yèjì.

He's just coasting there — never produces any results.

Tips

usage

Can be self-deprecating ('I'm just getting by') or cutting ('he's only there to freeload'). The verb 混 is key — it carries the sense of drifting, blending in, muddling along, rather than committing. Compare with 吃大锅饭 (collective freeloading) and 磨洋工 (footdragging).

Stroke Order

混 hùn

饭 fàn

吃 chī