折腰

zhéyāo

verb #42,612

Meanings

1 to bow; to bend at the waist
2 to bow and scrape; to submit
3 to bow in admiration

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

他宁可辞职，也不愿向老板折腰。

Tā nìngkě cízhí, yě bú yuàn xiàng lǎobǎn zhéyāo.

He would rather resign than bow and scrape to his boss.

HSK 7-9

这样壮丽的风景，让无数诗人为之折腰。

Zhèyàng zhuànglì de fēngjǐng, ràng wúshù shīrén wèi zhī zhéyāo.

Scenery this magnificent has made countless poets bow in admiration.

Tips

history

陶渊明 gave up his post rather than bend his waist for five pecks of rice, a county magistrate’s pay: 不为五斗米折腰. Li Bai’s 安能摧眉折腰事权贵 and Mao Zedong’s 引无数英雄竞折腰 both build on that image.

Stroke Order

折 zhé

腰 yāo