民以食为天 in English min2 yi3 shi2 wei2 tian1 Meaning

Meanings

  • Food is the God of the people. (idiomatic expression); People view food as the primary need.
  • Food first, ethical niceties second

Simplified Characters

民 以 食 为 天

Traditional Characters

民 以 食 為 天

Pinyin

min2 yi3 shi2 wei2 tian1

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

民min2surname Min 以yi3old variant of 以[yi3] 食shi2to eat 为wei4as (in the capacity of) 天tian1day