我们家买不起
“we can't afford it. Sure.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
那蛤喇油又太贵
“And clam oil is too expensive,”
我们家 买不起
“we can't afford it. Sure.”
行
“Sure.”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
In 20th-century China, clam-shell moisturizing cream (galahao) was a prized skincare product; even modest luxuries required strict household budgeting.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
cannot afford to buy
A potential complement phrase indicating that something exceeds one's budget or financial capacity.
our family; my family
Frequently used in spoken Chinese to refer to one's household rather than just oneself.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“to Hong Kong, China for treatment?”
“Even if we couldn't afford a big banquet,”
“then how can we common folk afford that?”
“I can't afford a piano!”
“No, can't afford it. These are all large units.”