# 一贫如洗

yī pín rú xǐ

Be completely destitute

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** So poor it seems washed clean

**Traditional Chinese:** 一貧如洗

**Register:** Somber · general

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Describe having virtually no money or possessions.

Very strong; temporary cash inconvenience is different.

## Understanding the expression

Washing removes what clings to a surface, leaving it bare. The expression makes poverty seem equally complete, with almost nothing remaining. It describes severe financial hardship rather than simply choosing not to spend. It often appears after losses, debt, or a difficult beginning. The image should not suggest that poverty is a moral failing. A useful account can describe the circumstances and available help instead of treating the person's lack of possessions as their identity.

## Examples

火灾后，他几乎一贫如洗。

### Traditional Chinese

火災後，他幾乎一貧如洗。

huǒ zāi hòu ， tā jī hū yī pín rú xǐ 。

The fire left him almost destitute.

她创业失败，变得一贫如洗。

### Traditional Chinese

她創業失敗，變得一貧如洗。

tā chuàng yè shī bài ， biàn de yī pín rú xǐ 。

Her failed business left her penniless.

当年一贫如洗，如今生活稳定。

### Traditional Chinese

當年一貧如洗，如今生活穩定。

dāng nián yī pín rú xǐ ， rú jīn shēng huó wěn dìng 。

Once penniless, he now has a stable life.

援助让一贫如洗的家庭有了住处。

### Traditional Chinese

援助讓一貧如洗的家庭有了住處。

yuán zhù ràng yī pín rú xǐ de jiā tíng yǒu le zhù chù 。

Support gave the destitute family a home.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%80%E8%B2%A7%E5%A6%82%E6%B4%97)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=580&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [依然故我 yī rán gù wǒ Remain as one was before ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-ran-gu-wo)

- [一日千里 yī rì qiān lǐ Make exceptionally rapid progress ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-ri-qian-li)

- [永垂不朽 yǒng chuí bù xiǔ Be remembered with lasting honor ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yong-chui-bu-xiu)

- [雨后春笋 yǔ hòu chūn sǔn Many new things emerge rapidly ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yu-hou-chun-sun)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 一盘散沙 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-pan-san-sha) [Next idiom 一气呵成 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-qi-he-cheng)