自食其力 zì shí qí lì

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. to eat off one's own strength (idiom)
  2. fig. to stand on one's own feet
  3. to earn one's own living

CHARACTERS

自 zì
HSK 3
self, private, personal; from
食 shí
HSK 5
eat; meal; food; KangXi radical number 184
其 qí
HSK 3
his, her, its, their; that
力 lì
HSK 3
power, capability, influence