How do you use "A dog's life" in a sentence?

It's a dog's life working here. He leads a dog's life. Why do I put up with this dog's life?

A dog's life

Q: What does "A dog's life" mean?

A miserable, unhappy existence. Having a 'dog's life' means living miserably—hard work, little reward, poor treatment. Ironic now that many dogs are pampered, but historically dogs were working animals with hard lives.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

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Meaning: A miserable, unhappy existence.

悲惨、不幸的生活。

Una existencia miserable e infeliz.

惨めで不幸な生活。

비참하고 불행한 삶.

Having a 'dog's life' means living miserably—hard work, little reward, poor treatment. Ironic now that many dogs are pampered, but historically dogs were working animals with hard lives.

过着'dog's life'意味着过得很悲惨——辛苦工作、回报少、待遇差。现在很多狗都被宠爱，所以有些讽刺，但历史上狗是过着艰苦生活的劳动动物。

Tener una 'vida de perro' significa vivir miserablemente—trabajo duro, poca recompensa, mal trato. Irónico ahora que muchos perros son mimados, pero históricamente los perros eran animales de trabajo con vidas duras.

「dog's life」を送るとは惨めに暮らすこと—重労働、報われない、扱いが悪い。今日では多くの犬が甘やかされているので皮肉ですが、歴史的に犬は過酷な生活の労働動物でした。

'Dog's life'는 비참하게 사는 것을 뜻한다—열심히 일하지만 보상은 적고 대우도 나쁜 삶이다. 요즘은 많은 개들이 애지중지 키워지지만, 역사적으로 개는 힘든 삶을 사는 노동 동물이었다.

Examples

It's a dog's life working here.
在这里工作太苦了
Es una vida de perros trabajar aquí
ここで働くのは辛い
여기서 일하는 건 고된 인생이야.
He leads a dog's life.
他过着悲惨的生活
Lleva una vida de perros
彼は惨めな生活を送っている
그는 비참한 생활을 하고 있다.
Why do I put up with this dog's life?
我为什么要忍受这种苦日子？
¿Por qué aguanto esta vida de perros?
なぜこんな辛い生活に耐えているんだろう
왜 이런 고된 삶을 참고 있는 걸까?

Pronunciation

/ə dɒɡz laɪf/

Usage Guide

Context: complaints, hardship, work

Tone: complaining, self-pitying

✓ Do Say

A dog's life
悲惨的生活
Una vida de perros
惨めな生活
개 같은 인생
It's a dog's life
过得很苦
Es una vida de perros
つらい人生だ
참 고된 인생이야

Common Mistakes

Ironic now that dogs are often pampered

Origin & History

Historically, most dogs lived hard working lives—not the pampered pets of today. A 'dog's life' was one of servitude and hardship. The phrase now sounds ironic given modern pet treatment.

Etymology: From historical treatment of working dogs

First recorded: 16th century

Cultural Context

Era: 16th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Charlie Chaplin film 'A Dog's Life'

Regional notes: English-language universal.

Variations

A dog's lifeDog's life