自食其力 zì shí qí lì

to earn one's own living; fig. to stand on one's own feet

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 22293rd word

Definitions

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

Characters

Character Meaning
自 zì HSK 3
self; oneself; from
食 shí HSK 5
to eat; food; animal feed
其 qí HSK 3
its; their; it (refers to sth preceding it)
力 lì HSK 3
strength; force; power