Definition
Literally 'cut food and shrink clothing', this idiom means to live frugally by saving on basic necessities. It describes a deliberate, often long-term sacrifice in daily expenses to achieve a goal.
phrase
to save on food and clothingto live frugally (idiom)
Examples
- ,节衣缩食。Wèile gěi fùmǔ mǎi fángzi, tā jié yī suō shí le hǎo jǐ nián.To buy a house for his parents, he lived frugally for several years.
- ,节衣缩食。Jīngjì bù hǎo de shíhou, dàjiā zhǐhǎo jié yī suō shí guò rìzi.When the economy is bad, people have no choice but to live frugally.
- 节衣缩食,。Yéye yí bèizi dōu jié yī suō shí, fēicháng jiéyuē.Grandpa lived frugally all his life; he was very thrifty.
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