节衣缩食

• Pinyin: jié yī suō shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 节 = to save; 衣 = clothing; 缩 = to shrink, reduce; 食 = food

Meaning

To economize on food and clothing; to live frugally. Tightening one's belt to save money.

An idiom describing extreme frugality, usually due to financial hardship or to save for a specific goal. Often used to describe parents who sacrifice their own comfort to support their children's education or future.

Examples

1. 为了供孩子上大学，他们一家人节衣缩食了好多年。 To send their child to university, the whole family lived frugally for many years.
2. 创业初期，她节衣缩食省下每一分钱投入公司。 In the early days of her startup, she scrimped and saved every penny to invest in the company.
3. 那个年代物资匮乏，家家户户都得节衣缩食。 In those days of scarcity, every household had to tighten their belts.

Usage Guide

Context: hardship, sacrifice, family

Tone: sympathetic

Do Say

• 父母节衣缩食供我读书。(My parents scrimped and saved to put me through school.)
• 那段日子我们只能节衣缩食。(During that period we had to tighten our belts.)

Don't Say

• 用'节衣缩食'形容主动的简约生活 (Don't use 节衣缩食 for voluntary minimalism — it implies necessity-driven frugality, not lifestyle choice)

Origin & History

A classical Chinese idiom: 节衣 (economize on clothing) + 缩食 (reduce food). Describes cutting back on the two most basic necessities of life.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal