jap6 bat1 fu1 ceot1入不敷出
Jyutpingjap6 bat1 fu1 ceot1
Yaleyahp bāt fū chēut
Definition
Unable to make ends meet; to have expenditures exceed income.
neutralmoney
How it's used
This is a formal idiom that is often used in news reports or serious discussions about personal or household finances. While it is perfectly understood in conversation, people usually prefer to say 唔夠錢使 or 支出大過收入 in casual daily settings. Using this idiom adds a sense of gravity or objective analysis to the speaker's tone.
Examples
He can't make ends meet every month, so how can he save money?
Because prices are too high, many families can't make ends meet.
Common phrases
long-term inability to make ends meet
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
