zuk1 kam1 gin3 zau2捉襟見肘捉襟见肘

Jyutpingzuk1 kam1 gin3 zau2

Yalejūk kām gin jáu

語句

Definition

Extremely poor and hard up; having too many difficulties to cope with.

writtenmoneydescriptions

How it's used

Originating from a story in the Zhuangzi about a scholar whose clothes were so tattered that pulling the lapels together caused the elbows to poke through, this idiom is now almost exclusively used to describe financial hardship. It carries a literary tone and is rarely used in casual, everyday speech, making it sound quite formal or dramatic when spoken aloud. It is most effective when describing a situation where one's resources are insufficient to cover basic needs or multiple pressing obligations simultaneously.

Examples

keoi5佢zeoi3最gan6近ging1經zai3濟zuk1捉kam1襟gin3見zaau2肘，lin4連faan6飯dou1都m4唔gam2敢sik6食hou2好di1啲。

His finances are so tight lately that he doesn't even dare to eat well.

nei5你tai2睇keoi5佢sang1生wut6活zuk1捉kam1襟gin3見zaau2肘，dim2點gaai2解zung6仲jiu3要maai5買gam3咁gwai3貴ge2嘅je5嘢？

You can see he's struggling financially, why does he still buy such expensive things?

Common phrases

ging1經zai3濟zuk1捉kam1襟gin3見zaau2肘

to be financially strapped

sang1生wut6活zuk1捉kam1襟gin3見zaau2肘

to live in straitened circumstances

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a general term for being busy or having many tasks, but it specifically refers to a lack of resources, usually money, rather than a lack of time or effort.