fu6 daam1 dak1 hei2負擔得起负担得起

Jyutpingfu6 daam1 dak1 hei2

Yalefuh dāam dāk héi

Definition

To be able to afford, or to be financially affordable.

colloquialmoney

How it's used

Focus on the ability to handle a financial cost rather than just the availability of funds. It often implies a sense of personal responsibility or the weight of a commitment. Using it in the negative form 負擔唔起 is extremely common when discussing rising living costs or expensive luxury items.

Examples

le1呢gaa3架ce1車hou2好gwai3貴，ngo5我fu6負daam1擔dak1得hei2起。

This car is very expensive, but I can afford it.

nei5你fu6負daam1擔dak1得hei2起ni1呢go3個gaa3價cin4錢mei6未aa4呀？

Can you afford this price yet?

Common phrases

fu6負daam1擔dak1得hei2起sang1生wut6活fai3費

can afford living expenses

fu6負daam1擔dak1得hei2起zou1租gam1金

can afford the rent

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the noun 負擔, which means burden. Remember that 負擔得起 is a verb phrase describing capability, whereas 負擔 is usually a noun describing the weight of a responsibility.