zaa1 dau1揸兜

Jyutpingzaa1 dau1

Yalejā dāu

動詞

Definition

To be unemployed or beggar-like; to fall on hard times.

colloquialworkmoney

How it's used

This term carries a strong sense of desperation and social stigma, as it literally refers to holding a bowl for begging. It is almost exclusively used in informal settings to describe the state of being completely destitute or out of work. It is much more vivid and dramatic than simply saying 冇工做.

Examples

gaan1間gung1公si1司zap1執zo2咗lap1笠，daai6大gaa1家dou1都zaa1揸dau1兜laa3喇。

The company went bankrupt, and everyone is now unemployed.

nei5你zoi3再gam3咁laan5懶saan2散faat3法，ci4遲zou2早zaa1揸dau1兜㗎zaa3咋。

If you keep being this lazy, you'll end up unemployed sooner or later.

Common phrases

ceoi4隨si4時zaa1揸dau1兜

at risk of becoming unemployed at any time

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe someone who is simply between jobs or voluntarily taking a break. It implies a total loss of livelihood and carries a heavy, negative tone that can sound quite harsh if used to describe someone's actual situation.