Chinese

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round basket for cooked rice
eat; food; to feed
eat; food; to feed; animal feed
 
pot; (a measure word)
starch paste; broth; serum
starch paste; broth; serum; to starch
 
trad. (簞食壺漿) 漿
simp. (箪食壶浆)
Literally: “to receive troops with food and drink”.

Etymology

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From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王下》):

萬乘萬乘簞食壺漿王師水火 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
万乘万乘箪食壶浆王师水火 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Yǐ wànshèng zhī guó fá wànshèng zhī guó, dān shí hú jiāng, yǐ yíng wángshī. Qǐ yǒu tā zāi? Bì shuǐhuǒ yě. [Pinyin]
When, with all the strength of your country of ten thousand chariots, you attacked another country of ten thousand chariots, and the people brought baskets of rice and vessels of congee, to meet your Majesty's host, was there any other reason for this but that they hoped to escape out of fire and water?

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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簞食壺漿

  1. to give troops a hearty welcome