食い扶持

• Reading: くいぶち
• Romaji: kuibuchi
• Kanji breakdown: 食 (ku/shoku) — eat, food; 扶 (fu) — support, help; 持 (chi/ji) — hold, maintain
• Pronunciation: /kɯi.bɯ.tɕi/

Meaning

Living expenses; livelihood; mouths to feed. The cost of feeding and sustaining oneself or one's family; by extension, income sufficient to cover basic living costs.

A colloquial, somewhat old-fashioned expression used to discuss the bare necessities of economic survival. Can refer to the amount one earns to cover basic living costs (食い扶持を稼ぐ) or the number of dependants whose food must be provided (食い扶持が増える). Carries a slightly humble or resigned tone, often evoking the precariousness of livelihood. Common in informal speech, literature, and historical contexts.

Examples

1. 食い扶持を稼ぐために、副業として週末にアルバイトを始めた。 To earn enough to cover living expenses, I started working a part-time job at weekends as a side income.
2. 家族全員の食い扶持を一人で支え続けるのは、精神的にも体力的にも限界だった。 Continuing to support the living expenses of the entire family single-handedly had reached the limits of both my mental and physical strength.
3. 事業が縮小するにつれ、社員の食い扶持を確保することが経営の最優先課題となった。 As the business contracted, ensuring the livelihoods of all employees became the management's top priority.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday speech, family finances, employment, historical contexts

Tone: humble, resigned

Origin & History

Compound of 食い (eating, from 食う kuu — to eat) and 扶持 (stipend, support, provisions — originally a samurai's rice allowance). The term originally described the rice ration sufficient to sustain one person.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Working class/General