ng5 kung4 luk6 zyut6五窮六絕五穷六绝
Jyutpingng5 kung4 luk6 zyut6
Yaleńgh kùhng luhk jyuht
Definition
To reach a state of absolute poverty, desperation, or hopelessness; to fall on extremely hard times.
colloquialmoneytime
How it's used
Originally referring to the stock market cycle where performance dips in May and June, this phrase has evolved into a general idiom for any period of extreme financial hardship or low activity. It captures the feeling of a seasonal slump that feels inevitable and difficult to escape. People often use it to commiserate over a lack of customers or money during these specific months.
Examples
The market is so bad this year, it really is a time of desperation.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person's emotional state or personal poverty, as it is strictly tied to business cycles, market performance, or economic trends.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
