民以食為天 mín yǐ shí wéi tiān

food is people’s first need

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. Food is the God of the people. (idiom); People view food as the primary need.
  2. 2. Food first, ethical niceties second

Characters

Character Meaning
民 mín HSK 4
the people; citizen; nationality
以 yǐ HSK 2
to use; by means of; according to
食 shí HSK 5
to eat; food; animal feed
為 wéi
for; because of; to
天 tiān HSK 1
day; sky; heaven