noun
simple life; frugal life
A yojijukugo describing a lifestyle of plain clothing and simple food, emphasizing voluntary simplicity and frugality.
彼は都会を離れ、粗衣粗食の生活を送っている。
He left the city and lives a simple life of plain clothes and frugal meals.
清貧 emphasizes honorable poverty with moral integrity, whereas 粗衣粗食 focuses on the material simplicity of clothing and food.
A yojijukugo composed of 粗 (rough, coarse), 衣 (clothing), 粗 (coarse), and 食 (food), literally 'coarse clothing, coarse food'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a common four-character pattern for describing a simple, frugal lifestyle.