衣食父母

yīshífùmǔ

idiom #34,840

Meanings

1 those one depends on for a living
2 one's bread and butter; benefactors

Characters

Examples

顾客就是我们的衣食父母。

Gùkè jiùshì wǒmen de yī shí fù mǔ.

Customers are our bread and butter.

别忘了读者才是你的衣食父母。

Bié wàng le dúzhě cái shì nǐ de yī shí fù mǔ.

Don't forget — your readers are the ones who put food on your table.

对商家来说，回头客是真正的衣食父母。

Duì shāngjiā lái shuō, huítóukè shì zhēnzhèng de yī shí fù mǔ.

For a business, repeat customers are its true livelihood.

Tips

history

Found in Tang Xianzu's (汤显祖) Ming drama 《南柯记》: '着甚么南庄田，北庄地，有溜二便是衣食父母' — the land that feeds you is your parent. 'Clothing-and-food parents' extended this metaphor to anyone on whom one's livelihood depends.

culture

Business cliché: 顾客是衣食父母 ('customers are our bread and butter') is the Chinese equivalent of 'the customer is always right.' Treating clients with literal filial respect (since they 'feed' you) is still a pillar of Chinese retail and hospitality culture.

Stroke Order

衣 yī

食 shí

父 fù

母 mǔ