挑担子

挑擔子

tiāo dànzi

idiom

Meanings

HSK 4

我爷爷年轻时每天挑担子进城卖菜。

Wǒ yéye niánqīng shí měitiān tiāo dànzi jìnchéng mài cài.

When my grandpa was young, he carried loads on a shoulder pole into town every day to sell vegetables.

HSK 5

他年纪轻轻就开始替父母挑担子了。

Tā niánjì qīngqīng jiù kāishǐ tì fùmǔ tiāo dànzi le.

Young as he was, he had already started shouldering the burden for his parents.

usage

Frequently splits around 起, 得, 不 etc. (挑起担子, 挑得动担子). The image is the carrying-pole across both shoulders - the burden is real and felt.

挑 tiāo

担 dān

子 zǐ