wai4 hau2 ban1 ci4為口奔馳为口奔驰
Jyutpingwai4 hau2 ban1 ci4
Yalewàih háu bān chìh
Definition
To run around and work extremely hard to make a living or make ends meet.
colloquialworkmoney
How it's used
This idiom carries a sense of exhaustion and the relentless nature of survival. It highlights the physical act of moving about, suggesting a life spent constantly on the go rather than just working a desk job. It is often used to express sympathy for someone who is clearly overworked.
Examples
He has to work his fingers to the bone every day to support his family.
You are working so hard to make a living, remember to take care of your health.
Related words
Common phrases
to spend the whole day struggling to make a living
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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).
