為五斗米折腰

为
為
五
五
斗
斗
米
米
折
折
腰
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

Characters and words in 為五斗米折腰

为
為
wéi = w + ei2
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)
为
為
wèi = w + ei4
because of / for / to
为 = ⺀ + 力 : This one looks like a bird with crazy hair, and when I googled "bird with crazy hair", wow was I amazed how many birds with crazy hair there are! Penguins are birds with crazy hair! So let's use a penguin for this character.
为 = ⺀ + 力 : The crazy hair penguin wants to use the Eiffel Tower's bathroom, but because Willy Walrus just finished it stinks like hell. The first thing crazy hair penguin does is to press the button to release a heap of blossoms to make the air breathable again.
五
wǔ = w + Ø3
five / 5
五 = 王 + 丨 : Mnemonic symbol: a pentagram.

Martin Luther King (王) helps Willy Walrus (w) to construct a pentagram (五) out of dinosaur bones (丨) inside the space station (Ø3).
五 = 工 + 乛 : Mnemonic symbol: a pentagram.

In the space station (Ø3), Willy Walrus (w) chops up a steel beam (工) with a sickle (乛) into five (五) equal parts. He uses the five parts to assemble a steel pentagram (五).
斗
dǒu = d + ou3
abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星[Bei3 dou3 xing1]
斗
dǒu = d + ou3
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]
斗
鬥
dòu = d + ou4
to fight / to struggle / to condemn / to censure / to contend / to put together / coming together
斗 = ⺀ + 十 : Mnemonic symbol: a 斗牛士 (dou4 niu2 shi4) is a matador, who will represent 斗 when used as component.

The matador (斗) and Don Quixote (d) are fighting (斗) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4) about who may use the bathroom next. The matador yields a holy cross (十) as a weapon, while Don Quixote (d) wisely chose a blossom (⺀) to cushion the crosses' blows.
斗
鬦
dòu = d + ou4
variant of 鬭|斗[dou4]
斗
鬪
dòu = d + ou4
variant of 鬥|斗[dou4]
斗
鬭
dòu = d + ou4
variant of 鬥|斗[dou4]
米
mǐ = mi + Ø3
rice / CL:粒[li4] / meter (classifier)
米 = 丷 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a sack of rice.

Marilyn Monroe and the mean crocodile celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree inside of the space station. Coincidentally they got each other the same present: each of them is giving the other one a sack of rice.
折
shé = sh + e2
to snap / to break (a stick, a bone etc) / (bound form) to sustain a loss (in business)
折
zhe̅ = zh + e1
to turn sth over / to turn upside down / to tip sth out (of a container)
折
zhé = zh + e2
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
折 = 扌 + 斤 : James II of England (zh) wants to lift a pair of barbells (斤) in the elevator's kitchen (e2), but the barbells are very heavy. He tries to use toy claws (扌) and folding (折) knifes (mnemonic symbol for 折) as levers, but they both snap (折).
折
摺
zhé = zh + e2
variant of 折[zhe2] / to fold
折
腰
to bend at the waist / to bow / (fig.) to bow to / to submit
腰
ya̅o = y + ao1
waist / lower back / pocket / middle / loins
腰 = 月 + 要 : Maud Younger (y) is teaching the moon (月) how to dance in front of the aorta (ao1). She tells him again and again that he absolutely has to (要) use his hips (腰) more, as it is very important (要).

Words with 為五斗米折腰

為五斗米折腰 is not used as a component in another word.

Sentences with 為五斗米折腰

為五斗米折腰 currently does not appear in any sentence.