諺語 · a single proverb
飢不擇食
Simplified: 饥不择食
What does 飢不擇食 (jī bù zé shí) mean?
飢不擇食 (jī bù zé shí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "when hungry, one does not choose food." In use it means: Desperation removes selectivity. When the need is great enough, standards are the first casualty. This applies to food, to jobs, to relationships, to decisions. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "when hungry, one does not choose food."
The reading
At breakfast you wanted eggs benedict. By midnight, cold rice from yesterday sounds perfect. Nothing changed except your hunger. Desperation is a lens that makes everything look like a solution. This is useful when you need to survive. It is dangerous when you mistake desperation for good judgment.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; classical usage in multiple texts
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 飢不擇食 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 飢不擇食 (jī bù zé shí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; classical usage in multiple texts. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 飢不擇食?
In Mandarin it is jī bù zé shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 飢不擇食 aloud in Mandarin.