| 为五斗米折腰 |
wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo |
(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潜, who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate) / (fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary |
| 为 |
wéi |
as (in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by (in the passive voice) |
| 为 |
wèi |
because of / for / to |
| 为 |
wéi |
variant of 为 |
| 为 |
wèi |
variant of 为 |
| 五 |
wǔ |
five / 5 |
| 斗 |
Dǒu |
abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星 |
| 斗 |
dǒu |
dry measure for grain equal to ten 升 or one-tenth of a 石 / decaliter / peck / cup or dipper shaped object / old variant of 陡 |
| 斗 |
dòu |
to fight / to struggle / to condemn / to censure / to contend / to put together / coming together |
| 斗 |
dòu |
variant of 斗 |
| 斗 |
dòu |
variant of 斗 |
| 斗 |
dòu |
variant of 斗 |
| 米 |
Mǐ |
surname Mi |
| 米 |
mǐ |
uncooked rice / meter (unit of length) / (slang) Chinese yuan |
| 折 |
shé |
to snap / to break (a stick, a bone etc) / (bound form) to sustain a loss (in business) |
| 折 |
zhē |
to turn sth over / to turn upside down / to tip sth out (of a container) |
| 折 |
zhé |
to break / to fracture / to snap / to suffer loss / to bend / to twist / to turn / to change direction / convinced / to convert into (currency) / discount / rebate / tenth (in price) / classifier for theatrical scenes / to fold / accounts book |
| 折 |
zhé |
variant of 折 / to fold |
| 折腰 |
zhé yāo |
to bend at the waist; to bow / (fig.) to bow to; to submit |
| 腰 |
yāo |
the waist and lower back / (bound form) kidney of an animal (as food) / the waist of trousers or a skirt / (metonym) money pouch; pocket / (bound form) the middle section of an upright object (mountain, bottle etc) |