zai2 sai3 lou5 po4 nyun6仔細老婆嫩仔细老婆嫩
Jyutpingzai2 sai3 lou5 po4 nyun6
Yalejái sai lóuh pòh nyuhn
Definition
To have a young wife and small children, implying a heavy burden of family responsibilities.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
This phrase is a classic idiom used to justify why someone is under immense financial pressure or why they cannot take risks in their career. It paints a picture of a man who is the sole breadwinner for a vulnerable family unit. While it literally mentions a young wife, it is frequently used as a shorthand for having heavy family responsibilities regardless of the specific age of the spouse.
Examples
He has a young wife and small kids, he really cannot afford to lose his job.
You should be more understanding, after all he has a young family to support.
Related words
Common phrases
With a young family to support, if he stops working, he stops eating.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
