dyun6 daam1 tiu1斷擔挑断担挑

Jyutpingdyun6 daam1 tiu1

Yaledyuhn dāam tīu

Definition

Overburdened, or figuratively having too many children to raise.

colloquialfamilymoney

How it's used

Originally popularized by government family planning advertisements in the 1970s, this phrase carries a strong sense of being crushed by excessive responsibility. While it specifically referred to having too many children in its historical context, it is now frequently used to describe any situation where financial or personal commitments exceed one's capacity to cope. It paints a vivid picture of a bamboo carrying pole snapping under too much weight.

Examples

saang1生gam3咁do1多go3個zai2仔neoi2女，zan1真hai6係tyun5斷daam3擔tiu1挑aa4呀。

Having so many children is really a heavy burden.

nei5你zung6仲jiu3要gung1供lau2樓jau6又jiu3要joeng5養ce1車，m4唔paa3怕tyun5斷daam3擔tiu1挑me1咩？

You have to pay the mortgage and support the car, aren't you afraid of being overwhelmed?

Common phrases

gaa1家ting4庭tyun5斷daam3擔tiu1挑

family burden being too heavy

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a simple task being difficult, as it specifically implies a long-term, crushing burden that threatens one's stability or livelihood.