caan1 wan2 caan1 sik6餐搵餐食餐揾餐食
Jyutpingcaan1 wan2 caan1 sik6
Yalechāan wán chāan sihk
Definition
Living from hand to mouth; earning just enough to pay for everyday necessities.
colloquialmoneypeople
How it's used
This expression carries a strong sense of urgency and lack of financial security. It describes a state where one's daily income is immediately consumed by basic survival needs, leaving nothing for savings or emergencies. It is often used to evoke sympathy or to highlight the harsh reality of poverty in a high cost of living environment.
Examples
His whole family lives from hand to mouth, it is very tough.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply having a low income. It specifically implies a lack of surplus or savings, where the money earned today is spent on food today, creating a cycle of dependency on daily labor.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
