“白手起家”常见的英文表达有 “start from scratch” 或 “build something up from nothing”。
“start from scratch” 是最常用的说法，直译为“从零开始”，强调从无到有、没有任何基础或资源就着手做某事。例如：
He started his business from scratch and now it's a huge success.（他白手起家创业，现在取得了巨大的成功。）
“build something up from nothing” 意思更为直白，就是“从一无所有建立起某事物” ，例如：
She built her career up from nothing and became a well - known expert in her field.（她白手起家建立了自己的事业，成为她所在领域的知名专家。 ）