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聊生

Mandarin · pinyin liáo shēng

to earn a living (esp. with negative)

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聊: liáo · somewhat, slightly, at least
生: shēng · life, living, lifetime; birth

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Mandarin tones

2–1 · liao2 sheng1

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(literary, chiefly in the negative) to (be able to) keep a living

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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