落魄

luòtuò

adjective

Meanings

1 down and out
2 in dire straits
3 fallen on hard times
4 unrestrained

Characters

spirit; here read tuò in this compound

Examples

HSK 5

他失业后生活落魄。

Tā shīyè hòu shēnghuó luòtuò.

After losing his job, he fell on hard times.

HSK 7-9

这位落魄的诗人留下了许多名作。

Zhèwèi luòtuò de shīrén liúxià le xǔduō míngzuò.

This down-and-out poet left behind many celebrated works.

HSK 7-9

再落魄也要保持自尊。

Zài luòtuò yě yào bǎochí zìzūn.

No matter how bad things get, keep your self-respect.

Tips

usage

Commonly read luòtuò in Taiwan and as a secondary reading elsewhere; the Mainland standard reading is luòpò. Meaning is the same. The word paints a picture of a once-capable person now scraping by.

register

The 'unrestrained / free-spirited' sense is literary, found mainly in classical writing; the everyday meaning is 'down and out'.

Stroke Order

落 luò

魄 pò