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Home / Idiom / 白手起家

(idiom) to build up from nothing; to start from scratch

白手起家
bái shǒu qǐ jiā
b+ái·2nd tonesh+ǒu·3rd toneq+ǐ·3rd tonej+iā·1st tone
Idiom
Chain
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Examples1 available
President Lincoln was what we call a self-made man.
林肯总統就是我们所謂白手起家的男人。
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
regeneration through one's own effort (idiom) · self-reliance自力更生zì lì gēng shēngto get married and start a career (idiom) · to settle down · to establish oneself成家立业chéng jiā lì yèto establish · to set up · to found建立jiàn lì
Antonyms
to lodge under another person's roof (idiom); to live relying on sb else's charity寄人篱下jì rén lí xià
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