man4 bat1 liu4 sang1民不聊生

Jyutpingman4 bat1 liu4 sang1

Yalemàhn bāt lìuh sāng

語句

Definition

The people have no livelihood; the people live in extreme hardship and misery.

writtenpeopleother

How it's used

This is a formal idiom that carries a heavy, serious tone, often used in news reports or historical discussions to describe extreme social hardship. It is not something you would use in casual conversation to describe minor personal financial troubles. Using it to describe a simple bad day or a slight price increase would sound overly dramatic or sarcastic.

Examples

go2嗰zan6陣si4時zin3戰lyun6亂bat1不dyun6斷，gaau2搞dou3到man4民bat1不liu4聊sang1生。

Back then, constant wars left the people destitute.

ging1經zai3濟gam3咁caa1差，zan1真hai6係gaau2搞dou3到man4民bat1不liu4聊sang1生aa4呀。

The economy is so bad, it really has left people struggling to survive.

Common phrases

dou6導zi3致man4民bat1不liu4聊sang1生

lead to people being destitute

jat1一pin2片man4民bat1不liu4聊sang1生

a state of widespread destitution

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common adjective to describe being broke or poor, but it specifically refers to a societal state of suffering rather than an individual's bank balance.