<p>起居 is a word in and of itself.</p>

<p>《<em>规范</em>》defines it as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>活动和休息；指日常生活。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The breakdown goes something like this:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>起 = 活动</p></li>
<li><p>居 = 休息</p></li>
</ul>

<p>So 起 here basically means <em>to be active</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T02:34:26.873Z
could you please leave a reference to <规范>?
Wizard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T03:42:18.740Z
@Algebra I don't have a link for *Guifan*, but you can see《两岸》instead: https://www.moedict.tw/~%E8%B5%B7%E5%B1%85 "活動和休息；借指日常生活。"
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T02:11:58.727Z
2019-08-27T02:11:58.727Z
Mou某
<p>You should be aware of the <em>contrasting pairs</em> in this phrase.</p>

<ul>
<li>飲 (to drink)</li>
<li>食 (to eat [not <em>food</em>])</li>
<li>起 (to rise up, get up > be active)</li>
<li>居 (to rest)</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>Like in English, when a pair of opposites in a category are stated, it sometimes means <em>all things</em> of that category.</p>

<ul>
<li><em>The beautiful and the ugly</em></li>
<li><em>All folks, old and young</em></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T11:00:51.140Z
2019-08-27T11:00:51.140Z
dROOOze
<p>I think the whole phrase 饮食起居 means your daily regimen. Otherwise, split it into pairs.</p>

<p>饮食：(your) drink and food = food and drink<br>
起居：(your) everyday life</p>

<p>The place where you 起 (rise, start the day) is the place where you 居 (live, stop at the end of the day). Life is what happens in between. (Unless you are on holiday. I love the phrase 假日, 'false days' as a brilliant antonym to 饮食起居。 Days when you do something different.）</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What does "起" mean?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Where you start your day.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T23:52:43.500Z
Very smart explaination.
Wizard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-28T02:31:20.903Z
The explanation of "假日" as "false day" is incorrect. It's simply "day for **rest**." You may refer to 康熙字典: 又【集韻】【韻會】居迓切【正韻】居亞切，音價。 **休沐** 也。【晉書·王尼傳】護軍與尼長假。【歐陽修·題跋】言旬休，皆休假也。
Stan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-27T23:37:03.020Z
2019-08-27T23:37:03.020Z
Pedroski
<p>饮食起居: 饮(drink), 食(food), 起(?), 居(house).</p>

<p>What does "起" mean?</p>

<p><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%A5%AE%E9%A3%9F%E8%B5%B7%E5%B1%85" rel="nofollow noreferrer">百度百科</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>饮食起居，拼音是yǐn shí qǐ jū，出自《祭杜祁公文》，解释为指人的日常生活。</p>
</blockquote>

<meaning>
What does "起" mean in "饮食起居"
# What does "起" mean in "饮食起居"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-27)

饮食起居: 饮(drink), 食(food), 起(?), 居(house).

What does "起" mean?

[百度百科](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%A5%AE%E9%A3%9F%E8%B5%B7%E5%B1%85):

> 饮食起居，拼音是yǐn shí qǐ jū，出自《祭杜祁公文》，解释为指人的日常生活。

**Tags:** meaning


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-27. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

起居 is a word in and of itself.

《*规范*》defines it as:

> 活动和休息；指日常生活。

The breakdown goes something like this:

* 起 = 活动
* 居 = 休息

So 起 here basically means *to be active*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: could you please leave a reference to <规范>?  
> **username_1**: @Algebra I don't have a link for *Guifan*, but you can see《两岸》instead: https://www.moedict.tw/~%E8%B5%B7%E5%B1%85 "活動和休息；借指日常生活。"  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-08-27. Score: 3

You should be aware of the *contrasting pairs* in this phrase.

* 飲 (to drink)
* 食 (to eat [not *food*])
* 起 (to rise up, get up > be active)
* 居 (to rest)

---

Like in English, when a pair of opposites in a category are stated, it sometimes means *all things* of that category.

* *The beautiful and the ugly*
* *All folks, old and young*


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-08-27. Score: 1

I think the whole phrase 饮食起居 means your daily regimen. Otherwise, split it into pairs.

饮食：(your) drink and food = food and drink  
起居：(your) everyday life

The place where you 起 (rise, start the day) is the place where you 居 (live, stop at the end of the day). Life is what happens in between. (Unless you are on holiday. I love the phrase 假日, 'false days' as a brilliant antonym to 饮食起居。 Days when you do something different.）

> What does "起" mean?

Where you start your day.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Very smart explaination.  
> **username_4**: The explanation of "假日" as "false day" is incorrect. It's simply "day for **rest**." You may refer to 康熙字典: 又【集韻】【韻會】居迓切【正韻】居亞切，音價。 **休沐** 也。【晉書·王尼傳】護軍與尼長假。【歐陽修·題跋】言旬休，皆休假也。  

---

