Hanzi Now
CharactersIdiomsChinese NameFlashcards
Tools

Visual content

  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorCreate PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Character Highlight AnimatorChoose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
  • Chinese Text Morph AnimatorTurn one Chinese character, word or phrase into another; download SVG, MP4 or WebM

Audio content

  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting

Teaching materials

  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
  • Bingo CardsPicture and word Bingo for your class
  • Picture WorksheetsChinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Other

  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Zodiac CalculatorFind your animal sign from your birth date and make a zodiac card.
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
View all tools →
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦
零丁孤苦

零丁孤苦 — “Alone and helpless”

零丁孤苦 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Alone and helpless”. Solitary and miserable, without anyone to depend on. Literally, “Solitary and miserable”.

Frequency

零丁孤苦 Pronunciation and Pinyin

零丁孤苦 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
零
líng13zero, odd, fragment, fall
丁
dīng2fourth heavenly stem, adult man
孤
gū8alone, orphaned, or vulnerable
苦
kǔ9bitter, difficult, suffering

Example Sentence with 零丁孤苦

战乱过后,他变得零丁孤苦,只能靠邻里接济度日
After the war, he became alone and helpless, relying solely on the charity of his neighbors to get by.

Origin and Story of 零丁孤苦

After Emperor Wu of Jin unified the country, he promoted 'governance through filial piety,' advocating respect for parents and elders.

He intended to appoint Li Mi, a Secretary from Western Shu, and issued an imperial decree appointing him as Langzhong (a court official).

Li Mi, unwilling to take office, wrote a 'Memorial to the Throne' to Emperor Wu of Jin, stating that his grandmother was all alone and utterly helpless, and that he would only take office after caring for her.

Idioms Related to 零丁孤苦

Synonyms of 零丁孤苦

  • gū孤kǔ苦líng伶dīng仃lonely, helpless, and without support

More idioms starting with 零

  • líng零qī七bā八suì碎scattered and disorganized
  • líng零qī七suì碎bā八odds and ends
  • líng零guāng光piàn片yǔ羽a tiny fragment of something precious
  • líng零guī圭duàn断bì璧fragmented precious cultural relics
  • líng零dǎ打suì碎qiāo敲do things bit by bit and off and on
  • líng零qiāo敲suì碎dǎ打do things piecemeal
  • líng零zhū珠suì碎yù玉scattered precious fragments
  • líng零suì碎bù不quán全fragmented and incomplete
  • líng零luò落shān山qiū丘die and be buried in a desolate grave
  • líng零líng零sǎn散sǎn散scattered and sparse
  • líng零líng零xīng星xīng星scattered and sporadic
  • líng零líng零suì碎suì碎in small, scattered pieces

Recommended tools

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

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 →

Character Highlight Animator

Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order

Open the tool →

Questions about 零丁孤苦

What does 零丁孤苦 mean?

零丁孤苦 (líng dīng gū kǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Alone and helpless”.

How do you pronounce 零丁孤苦?

零丁孤苦 is pronounced líng dīng gū kǔ in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 零丁孤苦 literally mean?

Literally, 零丁孤苦 means “Solitary and miserable”. It is used to mean “Alone and helpless”.

Where does 零丁孤苦 come from?

零丁孤苦 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 零丁孤苦?

孤单困苦,无所依傍。

Hanzi Now

Explore the charm of Chinese language

Explore

  • Characters
  • Idioms
  • Chinese Names
  • Flashcards

Tools

  • Chinese Text Image Generator
  • Stroke Order Animator
  • Character Highlight Animator
  • Bingo Cards
  • Picture Worksheets
  • All Tools

More

  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2026 Hanzi NowContact Us