What does 孤苦伶仃 mean?

孤苦伶仃 (gū kǔ líng dīng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “lonely and helpless”.

How do you pronounce 孤苦伶仃?

孤苦伶仃 is pronounced gū kǔ líng dīng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 孤苦伶仃 literally mean?

Literally, 孤苦伶仃 means “alone, bitter, solitary and helpless”. It is used to mean “lonely and helpless”.

Where does 孤苦伶仃 come from?

孤苦伶仃 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 孤苦伶仃?

伶仃：孤独，没有依靠。孤单困苦，没有依靠。

孤苦伶仃 — “Lonely and helpless”

孤苦伶仃 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “lonely and helpless”. Solitary and destitute, without any support or companionship. Literally, “alone, bitter, solitary and helpless”.

Frequency

孤苦伶仃 Pronunciation and Pinyin

孤gū
苦kǔ
伶líng
仃dīng

孤苦伶仃 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
孤	gū	8	alone, orphaned, or vulnerable
苦	kǔ	9	bitter, difficult, suffering
伶	líng	7	performer, lonely, clever
仃	dīng	4	lonely, solitary, helpless

Example Sentence with 孤苦伶仃

老人去世后，他唯一的亲人也远在他乡，让他感到孤苦伶仃。

After the old man passed away, his only relative was far away, leaving him feeling lonely and helpless.

Origin and Story of 孤苦伶仃

After Emperor Wu of Jin unified the country, he promoted a governance philosophy centered on filial piety, encouraging people to respect their parents and elders. He intended to appoint Li Mi, a high-ranking official from the former Western Shu kingdom, and thus issued an imperial decree naming Li Mi as a court gentleman.

Li Mi, however, was reluctant to accept the position. He submitted a memorial to Emperor Wu, explaining that his grandmother was old, alone, and completely without support (孤苦伶仃). He requested to care for his grandmother first before taking on any official duties.

Idioms Related to 孤苦伶仃

Synonyms of 孤苦伶仃

More idioms starting with 孤

Questions about 孤苦伶仃

What does 孤苦伶仃 mean?: 孤苦伶仃 (gū kǔ líng dīng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “lonely and helpless”.
How do you pronounce 孤苦伶仃?: 孤苦伶仃 is pronounced gū kǔ líng dīng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 孤苦伶仃 literally mean?: Literally, 孤苦伶仃 means “alone, bitter, solitary and helpless”. It is used to mean “lonely and helpless”.
Where does 孤苦伶仃 come from?: 孤苦伶仃 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 孤苦伶仃?: 伶仃：孤独，没有依靠。孤单困苦，没有依靠。

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