Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== guò rìzi: 过日子 - To live life, to get by ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** guò rìzi, 过日子, Chinese for live life, what does guo rizi mean, Chinese get by, pass the days, Chinese domestic life, Chinese couple life, frugal living Chinese, 生活 vs 过日子 * **Summary:** "过日子" (guò rìzi) is a fundamental Chinese term that means "to live life" or "to get by." It's a deeply practical and cultural concept, focusing on the day-to-day process of managing a household, making ends meet, and building a life, especially with a partner. Unlike the abstract concept of "life" (生活, shēnghuó), "过日子" emphasizes the routine, the challenges, and the quiet endurance of daily existence, reflecting a pragmatic and resilient approach to living. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** guò rìzi * **Part of Speech:** Verb phrase (Verb-Object) * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 * **Concise Definition:** To live one's life, especially in a practical, day-to-day sense; to get by; to manage a household. * **In a Nutshell:** "过日子" is about the //action// of living. It's not about thrilling adventures or abstract happiness, but about the nuts and bolts of existence: paying bills, buying groceries, raising children, and maintaining a stable home. It carries a strong sense of routine, pragmatism, and sometimes, the struggle of making ends meet. It is very frequently used to describe the shared life of a married couple. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **过 (guò):** The core meaning is "to pass," "to cross," or "to go through." In this context, it signifies the passage of time. * **日 (rì):** This character means "day" or "sun." * **子 (zi):** A very common noun suffix in Mandarin. It doesn't add much meaning here but makes the word "日子" (rìzi - days) sound more natural and colloquial. Putting them together, "过日子" literally translates to "to pass the days." This simple, literal meaning beautifully captures the essence of the term: living life one day at a time. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * "过日子" reflects a deeply ingrained cultural value of pragmatism and endurance in Chinese society. It's a concept rooted in an agrarian past where life was about surviving season to season, and success was measured by a full grain silo and a healthy family, not by personal fulfillment in the modern Western sense. * **Comparison to Western Concepts:** Where an American might talk about "building a life" or "pursuing happiness," which can imply ambition and achieving grand goals, "过日子" is more grounded and internal to the family unit. It's less about "what I can become" and more about "how we can maintain and endure." The ideal of "过日子" is not wealth or fame, but stability, harmony, and having enough to provide for the family (安稳 - ānwěn). * **Related Values:** The term is closely linked to values like frugality (节俭 - jiéjiǎn), hard work (吃苦耐劳 - chīkǔ nàiláo), and the idea that a couple must work together as a team to navigate life's challenges. The phrase often implies a shared journey, especially within a marriage. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== "过日子" is an extremely common, informal term used in everyday conversation. * **Describing Married/Domestic Life:** This is one of its most common uses. It describes the process of a couple managing their life together. * //e.g., "They're a couple who really knows how to live life." (他们俩真会过日子。)// This implies they are frugal, practical, and work well together. * **Describing Financial Hardship or "Getting By":** It can be used to describe the struggle to make ends meet. * //e.g., "Back then, life was very difficult." (那时候过日子真难。)// * **General Description of Daily Existence:** It can be used more neutrally to just mean "living" or "going about one's days." * //e.g., "No matter how you live, you still have to get through the day." (日子怎么过不是过呢？)// The connotation can be positive (praising someone's frugality and skill at managing a home), neutral (simply stating the fact of living), or negative (implying a hard or dreary existence). ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 他们夫妻俩**过日子**特别节俭，从不乱花钱。 * Pinyin: Tāmen fūqī liǎ **guò rìzi** tèbié jiéjiǎn, cóng bù luàn huā qián. * English: That couple is extremely frugal in their life together; they never spend money recklessly. * Analysis: This is a classic example of using **过日子** to describe the practical, financial management of a household. It's a compliment. * **Example 2:** * 一个人**过日子**虽然自由，但有时候也挺孤单的。 * Pinyin: Yí ge rén **guò rìzi** suīrán zìyóu, dàn yǒushíhou yě tǐng gūdān de. * English: Living life alone is freeing, but it can also be quite lonely at times. * Analysis: Here, **过日子** refers to the general state of one's daily existence as a single person. * **Example 3:** * 在那个年代，普通老百姓**过日子**都很艰难。 * Pinyin: Zài nàge niándài, pǔtōng lǎobǎixìng **guò rìzi** dōu hěn jiānnán. * English: In that era, it was very difficult for ordinary people to get by. * Analysis: This usage highlights the "survival" or "making ends meet" aspect of the term, emphasizing hardship. * **Example 4:** * 我奶奶常说，**过日子**就要精打细算。 * Pinyin: Wǒ nǎinai cháng shuō, **guò rìzi** jiù yào jīng dǎ xì suàn. * English: My grandma often says that to live life, you have to be meticulous with calculations (i.e., budget carefully). * Analysis: This connects **过日子** directly to the value of careful planning and frugality. * **Example 5:** * 别看他们总吵架，但**过日子**还得是两个人互相扶持。 * Pinyin: Bié kàn tāmen zǒng chǎojià, dàn **guò rìzi** háishì děi shì liǎng ge rén hùxiāng fúchí. * English: Don't just look at them always arguing; when it comes to living life, it still requires two people to support each other. * Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the core idea that **过日子** in a relationship is about mutual support, despite difficulties. * **Example 6:** * 钱多钱少都能**过日子**，开心最重要。 * Pinyin: Qián duō qián shǎo dōu néng **guò rìzi**, kāixīn zuì zhòngyào. * English: You can get by with a lot of money or a little money; being happy is the most important thing. * Analysis: This shows a philosophical take on **过日子**, separating the practical act of getting by from the state of happiness. * **Example 7:** * 他这个人不会**过日子**，赚多少花多少。 * Pinyin: Tā zhè ge rén bú huì **guò rìzi**, zhuàn duōshao huā duōshao. * English: He doesn't know how to manage his life; he spends as much as he earns. * Analysis: "不会过日子" (bú huì guò rìzi) is a common criticism, implying someone is bad with money, impractical, or not thinking about the future. * **Example 8:** * 我们就想安安稳稳地**过日子**，没那么多大的追求。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen jiù xiǎng ān'ānwěnwěn de **guò rìzi**, méi nàme duō dà de zhuīqiú. * English: We just want to live a peaceful and stable life, without so many grand ambitions. * Analysis: This perfectly captures the cultural preference for stability (安稳) as the ideal state of **过日子**. * **Example 9:** * 为了孩子，再苦也得把这日子**过**下去。 * Pinyin: Wèile háizi, zài kǔ yě děi bǎ zhè rìzi **guò** xiàqù. * English: For the sake of the children, no matter how hard it is, we have to keep on living this life. * Analysis: Here the phrase is split, with "把 (bǎ)" and the resultative complement "下去 (xiàqù)". This emphasizes endurance and continuation through hardship. * **Example 10:** * 居家**过日子**，柴米油盐酱醋茶，样样都不能少。 * Pinyin: Jūjiā **guò rìzi**, chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá, yàngyàng dōu bù néng shǎo. * English: To run a household, you can't be without any of the essentials: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. * Analysis: This example explicitly links **过日子** to the classic phrase for daily necessities (柴米油盐酱醋茶), cementing its meaning in practical, domestic life. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **False Friend: "Life" (生活, shēnghuó)** * The most common mistake is to use **过日子** interchangeably with [[生活]] (shēnghuó). * **生活 (shēnghuó)** is a noun (or sometimes a verb) that refers to "life" in a broader, more abstract sense. It can describe a quality of life, a lifestyle, or the general state of being alive. (e.g., 城市生活 - city life; 幸福的生活 - a happy life). * **过日子 (guò rìzi)** is a verb phrase that describes the //process//, the //action//, the //day-to-day management// of life. It's more about the "how" than the "what." * **Incorrect:** ~~My life in China is a very interesting 过日子. (我在中国的生活是很有意思的过日子。)~~ * **Correct:** My life in China is very interesting. (我在中国的生活很有意思。) * **Correct:** In China, I am learning how to live frugally. (在中国，我正在学习怎么节俭地过日子。) * **Connotation is Key:** Do not use **过日子** to describe an exciting, glamorous, or adventurous lifestyle. A movie star on a world tour is not "过日子". A backpacker exploring the world is not "过日子". The term is inherently tied to routine, stability, and often, domesticity. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[生活]] (shēnghuó) - The broader, more abstract concept of "life" or "livelihood." **过日子** is the action of carrying out one's **生活**. * [[柴米油盐]] (chái mǐ yóu yán) - "Firewood, rice, oil, and salt." A metaphor for the basic necessities and tedious daily tasks of life, which are the core components of **过日子**. * [[节俭]] (jiéjiǎn) - Frugal, thrifty. A highly praised virtue for someone who is good at **过日子**. * [[踏实]] (tāshi) - Grounded, steady, reliable. Describes the ideal mental state and approach to **过日子**. * [[过年]] (guò nián) - To celebrate/pass the New Year. Uses the same verb **过 (guò)** to mean passing through a specific time period. * [[生存]] (shēngcún) - To survive. A more extreme and basic term. **生存** is about not dying, while **过日子** is about maintaining a (however simple) life and household. * [[度日]] (dùrì) - To pass the days. A more literary and often negative synonym. It can imply passively or aimlessly getting through time, especially during hardship (e.g., 度日如年 - to pass a day as if it were a year). * [[持家]] (chíjiā) - To run or manage a household. A more formal term that focuses specifically on the management aspect of what is often described by **过日子**.