diu3 saa1 bou1吊砂煲

Jyutpingdiu3 saa1 bou1

Yalediu sā bōu

動詞

Definition

To be broke, unemployed, and unable to afford food; to literally "hang up the clay pot" because there is nothing to cook.

colloquialmoneyfood

How it's used

This idiom vividly paints a picture of a household so destitute that the cooking pot is left hanging empty over the stove. It is primarily used to describe the desperate financial state of a family rather than an individual's temporary lack of pocket money. The imagery implies a long-term struggle rather than a sudden, one-off event.

Examples

keoi5佢sat1失jip6業zo2咗hou2好noi6耐，uk1屋kei2企zau6就faai3快diu3吊saa1砂bou1煲laa1喇。

He has been unemployed for a long time, and his family is about to run out of food.

zoi3再wan2搵m4唔dou3到gung1工，ngo5我dei6哋zau6就jiu3要diu3吊saa1砂bou1煲㗎gaa2喇。

If we can't find a job soon, we'll have nothing to eat.

Common phrases

zau6就faai3快diu3吊saa1砂bou1煲

about to run out of food

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe simply being broke or having a low bank balance. It specifically refers to the inability to afford basic necessities like food, carrying a much heavier tone of poverty than just being short on cash.