饥不择食 in English ji1 bu4 ze2 shi2 Meaning

Meanings

  • when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiomatic expression); beggars can't be choosers
  • When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives.

Simplified Characters

饥 不 择 食

Traditional Characters

飢 不 擇 食

Pinyin

ji1 bu4 ze2 shi2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

饥ji1hungry 不bu4(negative prefix) 择ze2to select 食shi2to eat