薪桂米珠 — “Fuel like cinnamon, rice like pearls”
薪桂米珠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes a situation where daily necessities, such as firewood and rice, are extraordinarily expensive, making life very difficult for people; refers to exorbitant prices and a high cost of living”. Literally, “Fuel like cinnamon, rice like pearls”.
薪桂米珠 Pronunciation and Pinyin
薪桂米珠 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 薪桂米珠
Origin and Story of 薪桂米珠
During the Warring States period, Su Qin, a master of diplomatic persuasion, traveled extensively to lobby different states.
When he arrived in the State of Chu and requested an audience with the King, the palace gatekeeper, failing to extort a bribe from him, deliberately caused trouble. The gatekeeper made Su Qin wait for three days and sold him daily necessities at extremely inflated prices.
When Su Qin finally met the King of Chu, they found their conversation very engaging. Su Qin then remarked that in Chu, rice was as expensive as pearls, and firewood was as precious as cassia wood, vividly describing the exorbitant cost of living there.
Idioms Related to 薪桂米珠
Synonyms of 薪桂米珠
More idioms starting with 薪
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Open the tool →Questions about 薪桂米珠
What does 薪桂米珠 mean?
薪桂米珠 (xīn guì mǐ zhū) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes a situation where daily necessities, such as firewood and rice, are extraordinarily expensive, making life very difficult for people; refers to exorbitant prices and a high cost of living”.
How do you pronounce 薪桂米珠?
薪桂米珠 is pronounced xīn guì mǐ zhū in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 薪桂米珠 literally mean?
Literally, 薪桂米珠 means “Fuel like cinnamon, rice like pearls”. It is used to mean “describes a situation where daily necessities, such as firewood and rice, are extraordinarily expensive, making life very difficult for people; refers to exorbitant prices and a high cost of living”.
Where does 薪桂米珠 come from?
薪桂米珠 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 薪桂米珠?
薪：柴草。米贵得像珍珠，柴贵得像桂木。指物价昂贵，人民生活很困难