冇錢
mou5 cin2
The Cantonese phrase for "no money" is 冇錢 (mou5 cin2).
冇錢 is used to describe a state of having no financial resources or funds available.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 冇 (mou5), meaning 'to not have' and 錢 (cin2), meaning 'money'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In mainland China and some parts of Guangdong province, the phrase 沒錢 is commonly used to mean "no money."
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, which uses 'have no money' or 'don't have money', Cantonese uses the verb 冇 (mou5) directly to express the non-existence of the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
mou5 cin2
Did you know?
- In some contexts, people use the phrase 食草 (sik6 cou2), meaning 'eating grass', as a humorous way to describe the result of having 冇錢.
- While 錢 means 'money', it originally referred specifically to the weight of a copper coin, meaning the word 'money' literally began as a unit of weight.
- In Hong Kong, saying 冇錢 can be a playful way to decline an invitation to an expensive dinner without sounding truly desperate, acting as a social 'out'.
Examples in context
- Tom冇錢。Tom had no money.This example shows how to state that someone has no money using 冇錢.Tatoeba #4544229 by kaenif, translation #1025568 by CK
- 我個銀行戶口冇錢淨。There's no money left in my bank account.This example describes a situation where there is no money left in a bank account using 冇錢.Tatoeba #7987860 by nickyeow, translation #4499503 by CK
- 我冇錢，但係我有夢想。I have no money, but I have dreams.This example contrasts having no money with having dreams using 冇錢.Tatoeba #422969 by nickyeow, translation #18594 by Swift
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding where to eat dinner.
- 美玲 Mei Ling我哋去嗰間高級餐廳食飯好嗎？ngo5 dei6 heoi3 go2 gaan1 gou1 kap1 caan1 ting1 sik6 faan2 hou2 ma2?Shall we go to that fancy restaurant for dinner?
- 志強 Chi Keung唔好，我而家冇錢。m4 hou2, ngo5 ji1 gaa1 mou5 cin2.No, I have no money right now.
- 美玲 Mei Ling咁我請你食快餐啦。gam2 ngo5 cing2 nei5 sik6 faai3 caan1 laa1.Then I'll treat you to fast food.
- 志強 Chi Keung好，多謝你，美玲！hou2, do1 ze6 nei5, Mei5 Ling4!Okay, thank you, Mei Ling!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
