ngo6 sei2 lou5 po4 fan1 cau3 uk1餓死老婆薰臭屋饿死老婆熏臭屋
Jyutpingngo6 sei2 lou5 po4 fan1 cau3 uk1
Yalengoh séi lóuh pòh fān chau ūk
Definition
To be extremely stingy, or to be so incompetent that one cannot even feed one's wife.
- slangto be unable to earn enough money to support or feed one's wife
- slangto be extremely stingy or miserly
colloquialmoneyfamily
How it's used
This expression vividly describes the extreme state of poverty where a man fails to provide basic necessities for his household. It relies on the imagery of a starving spouse and a neglected, foul-smelling home to emphasize the severity of financial failure. It is a harsh, judgmental idiom often used to criticize someone's lack of ambition or poor earning capacity.
Examples
His job pays so little, he really can't even afford to feed his wife.
Related words
Common mistake
This is a highly offensive and sexist idiom that should be avoided in polite or professional company. It is strictly limited to informal, often heated, arguments or when describing someone's dire financial situation with a cynical tone.
Grammar color guide
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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).
