骨瘦如柴
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Chinese[edit]
bone | tight; thin; lean | as (if); such as | firewood | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (骨瘦如柴) | 骨 | 瘦 | 如 | 柴 | |
simp. #(骨瘦如柴) | 骨 | 瘦 | 如 | 柴 | |
alternative forms | 骨瘦如豺 | ||||
Literally: “as thin as a stick”. |
Etymology[edit]
瘦如豺 (“as thin as a dhole”) was first described in Song Dynasty dictionary Piya, where also mention the homophonous alternative form using 柴 (chái, “stick”), which is now more common.
Pronunciation[edit]
Idiom[edit]
骨瘦如柴
- as thin as a stick; emaciated; unhealthily skinny