Dictionary › 为五斗米折腰

为五斗米折腰

wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo

6-character word Traditional 為五斗米折腰

What 为五斗米折腰 means

1. (allusion to Tao Qian {陶潜|Táo Qián}, 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)
2. (fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

The characters in 为五斗米折腰

• 为wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as
• 五wǔfive; 5
• 斗dòuto fight; to struggle; to condemn
• 米mǐuncooked rice; meter (unit of length); (slang) Chinese yuan
• 折zhéto break; to fracture; to snap
• 腰yāothe waist and lower back; (bound form) kidney of an animal (as food)…