gan2 zyut3緊絀紧绌
Jyutpinggan2 zyut3
Yalegán jyut
Definition
Tight, short, or insufficient in terms of resources or budget.
neutralmoneywork
How it's used
Primarily used in formal or semi-formal contexts to describe a lack of resources, money, or space. While it sounds professional, it is frequently used in news reports or serious discussions about budget deficits. It carries a slightly more severe tone than just saying 唔夠.
Examples
The economy is bad lately, and company resources are very tight.
Are you not going on the trip because of financial constraints?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 緊張, which usually refers to being nervous or a tense situation. Use 緊絀 specifically when referring to the scarcity of tangible or abstract resources like money, time, or manpower.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
