Chinese word

风餐露宿

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēng cān lù sù

Meaning

  • idiomsleep outdoors

Example

我们旅行时遇到大雨，风餐露宿了两天。wǒ men lǚ xíng shí yù dào dà yǔ fēng cān lù sù le liǎng tiān

We encountered heavy rain while traveling and slept outdoors for two days.

Illustration for 风餐露宿 (sleep outdoors)

More examples

失业后，他在街头风餐露宿，生活十分艰难。shī yè hòu tā zài jiē tóu fēng cān lù sù shēng huó shí fēn jiān nán

After losing his job, he slept outdoors on the street, and life was very difficult.

Core concept

Meals and sleep taken outdoors while wind, rain, and dew make life hard.

Common phrases

  • 饱经风餐露宿bǎo jīng fēng cān lù sù

    have endured rough living

  • 风餐露宿的生活fēng cān lù sù de shēng huó

    a life of roughing it

Similar words

风吹日晒fēng chuī rì shài: Being left outdoors in wind and sun until the body or an object becomes worn or damaged.
风吹雨打fēng chuī yú dǎ: Facing harsh outdoor conditions while directly exposed to powerful wind and rain.

Definition in Chinese

形容人在旅途中或工作中在户外吃饭睡觉，遭受风吹露打，生活艰苦。xíng róng rén zài lǚ tú zhōng huò gōng zuò zhōng zài hù wài chī fàn shuì jiào zāo shòu fēng chuī lù dǎ shēng huó jiān kǔ

Word origin

风 (fēng, "wind") + 餐 (cān, "meal") + 露 (lù, "dew") + 宿 (sù, "lodging") combines natural exposure with eating and lodging to portray the hardship of living outside during travel or work.

Usage tips

  • This compact four-character idiom has a more literary tone than plain everyday wording and often frames a journey or outdoor job as a period of hardship.

Other meanings

  • rough itidiom

Opposites

  • 锦衣玉食jǐn yī yù shílive in luxuryidiom
  • 安居乐业ān jū lè yèlive and work in peaceidiom

Word lists with this word