嗟来之食 — “Food called out with a "hey!"”
嗟来之食 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to food or assistance given with a condescending or insulting attitude; demeaning charity that strips one of dignity. It implies refusing help that comes with scorn”. Literally, “food called out with a "hey!"”.
嗟来之食 Pronunciation and Pinyin
嗟来之食 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 嗟来之食
Origin and Story of 嗟来之食
During the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, the State of Qi suffered a severe famine. Many poor people starved to death due to lack of food.
A nobleman and slave owner named Qian Ao set up some food by the roadside, waiting for hungry people to pass by and offering it to them.
One day, a man, emaciated and disheveled, walked by, covering his face with his sleeve and dragging his worn-out shoes. Qian Ao saw him, picked up food with his left hand and a bowl of soup with his right, and arrogantly called out, "Hey! Come and eat!"
The starving man looked up, cast a disdainful glance at Qian Ao, and said, "It is precisely because I refuse to eat such 'food called out with a 'hey!'' that I have come to this state."
Qian Ao felt he had been overly condescending and apologized to the starving man. However, the man still refused to eat and eventually died by the roadside.
Idioms Related to 嗟来之食
Synonyms of 嗟来之食
More idioms starting with 嗟
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Open the tool →Questions about 嗟来之食
What does 嗟来之食 mean?
嗟来之食 (jiē lái zhī shí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to food or assistance given with a condescending or insulting attitude; demeaning charity that strips one of dignity. It implies refusing help that comes with scorn”.
How do you pronounce 嗟来之食?
嗟来之食 is pronounced jiē lái zhī shí in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 嗟来之食 literally mean?
Literally, 嗟来之食 means “food called out with a "hey!"”. It is used to mean “refers to food or assistance given with a condescending or insulting attitude; demeaning charity that strips one of dignity. It implies refusing help that comes with scorn”.
Where does 嗟来之食 come from?
嗟来之食 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 嗟来之食?
指带有侮辱性的施舍。