阮囊羞涩 — “To be financially embarrassed or in straitened circumstances”
阮囊羞涩 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be financially embarrassed or in straitened circumstances”. To have no money in one's purse. Literally, “Ruan's purse feels shy”.
阮囊羞涩 Pronunciation and Pinyin
阮囊羞涩 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 阮囊羞涩
Origin and Story of 阮囊羞涩
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Ruan Fu, the son of Ruan Xian (one of the 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove'), was as arrogant and unrestrained as his father, refusing to associate with influential figures.
He often dressed sloppily, spent his days drinking and wandering, and never managed his family's finances. As a result, he lived in extreme poverty, once even pawning his golden sable fur for wine.
He habitually carried a purse, but in times of dire poverty, it would famously contain only a single small coin.
Idioms Related to 阮囊羞涩
Recommended tools
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →Questions about 阮囊羞涩
What does 阮囊羞涩 mean?
阮囊羞涩 (ruǎn náng xiū sè) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be financially embarrassed or in straitened circumstances”.
How do you pronounce 阮囊羞涩?
阮囊羞涩 is pronounced ruǎn náng xiū sè in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 阮囊羞涩 literally mean?
Literally, 阮囊羞涩 means “Ruan's purse feels shy”. It is used to mean “to be financially embarrassed or in straitened circumstances”.
Where does 阮囊羞涩 come from?
阮囊羞涩 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 阮囊羞涩?
阮囊：亚代阮孚的钱袋；羞涩：难为情。比喻经济困难。