Definition
爬格子 literally means 'crawl across the squares' — a vivid metaphor for writing, especially as a career, because traditional Chinese manuscript paper is divided into small squares (格子) for characters. It's a separable verb (离合词): you can insert measure words or modifiers between 爬 and 格子, like 爬了一辈子格子 ('spent a lifetime writing'). The term carries a tone of hard work and dedication, often used by writers or journalists to describe their craft.
v.o.
to write for a livingto be a professional writer (often with a sense of hard work)
Examples
- 爬格子，。Tā kào pá gé zi wéichí shēngjì, yǐjīng èrshí duō nián le.He has been making a living by writing for over twenty years.
- ，。Zhè wèi zuòjiā pá le yí bèizi gézi, zhōngyú xiě chū le chuánshì zhī zuò.This writer spent a lifetime writing and finally produced a masterpiece.
- 爬格子，。Bié yǐwéi pá gé zi hěn qīngsōng, měitiān dōu yào áoyè gǎn gǎo.Don't think writing for a living is easy — you have to stay up late every day to meet deadlines.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.