About

The word "柴米油盐" is formed by directly combining four distinct characters, each representing a concrete household item: 柴 (firewood), 米 (rice), 油 (oil), and 盐 (salt); their aggregation creates a compound term denoting fundamental daily necessities.

Word Definition - 柴米油盐

chái mǐ yóu yán lit. firewood, rice, oil and salt (idiom); fig. life's daily necessities