Definition
喝西北风 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'drink the northwest wind' — implying that when you have no food, that's all you can do. It describes a situation of extreme poverty or having no income, often used in a jocular but real way to say 'have nothing to eat' or 'go hungry'. You'll hear it in everyday conversation when talking about being broke or unable to make a living.
id.
to have nothing to eatto suffer from hunger and poverty
Examples
- ，喝西北风。Yàoshi zhǎo bú dào gōngzuò, wǒmen jiù děi hē xī běi fēng le.If we can't find a job, we'll have nothing to eat.
- ，喝西北风。Tā zhěngtiān yóushǒuhàoxián, zǒng yǒu yì tiān huì hē xī běi fēng.He loafs around all day; one day he'll have nothing to eat.
- ，喝西北风。Lián fàn dōu chī bù bǎo, zhēn de shì hē xī běi fēng a.Can't even get enough to eat — we're really starving.
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