为五斗米折腰

(allusion to Tao Qian 陶潛|陶潜[Tao2 Qian2], who used this phrase when he resigned from government service rather than show subservience to a visiting inspector) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice (that being a part of his salary as a local magistrate) / (fig.) to compromise one's principles for the sake of a salary

as (in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by (in the passive voice)

because of / for / to

variant of 為|为[wei2] / as (i.e. in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do

variant of 為|为[wei4]

variant of 為|为[wei2]

five / 5

abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星[Bei3 dou3 xing1]

dry measure for grain equal to ten 升[sheng1] or one-tenth of a 石[dan4] / decaliter / peck / cup or dipper shaped object / old variant of 陡[dou3]

to fight / to struggle / to condemn / to censure / to contend / to put together / coming together

variant of 鬭|斗[dou4]

variant of 鬥|斗[dou4]

variant of 鬥|斗[dou4]

rice / CL:粒[li4] / meter (classifier)

to snap / to break (a stick, a bone etc) / (bound form) to sustain a loss (in business)

to turn sth over / to turn upside down / to tip sth out (of a container)

to break / to fracture / to snap / to suffer loss / to bend / to twist / to turn / to change direction / convinced / to convert into (currency) / discount / rebate / tenth (in price) / classifier for theatrical scenes / to fold / accounts book

variant of 折[zhe2] / to fold

to bend at the waist / to bow / (fig.) to bow to / to submit

waist / lower back / pocket / middle / loins