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白手起家

báishǒuqǐjiā
idiom #17,019

Meanings

  1. 1 to build up from nothing; to start from scratch; to be self-made

Characters

白
bái
white; empty; bare
手
shǒu
hand
起
qǐ
to rise; to start
家
jiā
family; home; household
Literally 'with bare hands, build a household' — starting with nothing and creating a livelihood.

Examples

他白手起家，创办了一家大公司。
Tā báishǒuqǐjiā, chuàngbàn le yī jiā dà gōngsī.
He started from scratch and founded a large company.
爷爷当年白手起家，非常不容易。
Yéye dāngnián báishǒuqǐjiā, fēicháng bù róngyì.
Grandpa built everything from nothing back in the day — it wasn't easy at all.
很多企业家都是白手起家的。
Hěn duō qǐyèjiā dōu shì báishǒuqǐjiā de.
Many entrepreneurs are self-made.

Tips

usage
白手起家 is always positive — it conveys admiration for someone who achieved success through hard work without any initial advantages or inheritance.

Stroke Order

白 bái
手 shǒu
起 qǐ
家 jiā