ngo6 sei2 lou5 po4 fan1 cau3 uk1餓死老婆燻臭屋饿死老婆熏臭屋

Jyutpingngo6 sei2 lou5 po4 fan1 cau3 uk1

Yalengoh séi lóuh pòh fān chau ūk

Definition

A husband who is incapable of supporting his family or providing a basic living, yet wastes money or effort on useless things.

colloquialpeoplefamily

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong sense of social judgment regarding a man's failure to fulfill his traditional role as a provider. It paints a vivid, albeit harsh, picture of domestic neglect and poverty caused by incompetence or laziness. It is rarely used in polite company as it is quite insulting and aggressive.

Examples

keoi5佢gam3咁laan2懶，zan1真hai6係ngo6餓sei2死lou5老po4婆fan1燻cau3臭uk1屋。

He is so lazy, he really cannot provide for his family.

nei5你zou6做je5嘢gam3咁m4唔soeng5上sam1心，soeng2想ngo6餓sei2死lou5老po4婆fan1燻cau3臭uk1屋aa4呀？

You are so careless at work, do you want to fail at supporting your family?

Common phrases

ngo6餓sei2死lou5老po4婆

to starve one's wife

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of hunger, but it is strictly a metaphorical critique of a man's lack of work ethic or financial responsibility. It should never be used to describe actual famine or poverty caused by external circumstances.