但他也就是一拿死工资的
“However, he also earns a salary.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“My brother has started paying me since he started working.”
但他 也就是 一拿 死工资 的
“However, he also earns a salary.”
自己家都揭不开锅了
“He doesn't even have enough to support his own family.”
“Don't count on him anymore—he barely makes enough to survive on his own.”
In contemporary Chinese culture, earning a 'dead salary' refers to low-mobility income that leaves little room to handle filial obligations or extended family support.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
merely; nothing more than
Use this spoken phrase to minimize the importance, scale, or capability of someone or something.
living on a fixed, flat salary without bonuses or extra income
Commonly used in spoken Chinese to describe an ordinary salaried worker with limited financial upside.
Functions as a nominalizer and categorical marker, emphasizing the person's identity as a fixed-wage earner.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“But it's not like he makes much on a fixed salary.”
“They only earn fixed salaries.”
“But she's just a regular employee herself.”
“However, she is also an employee who earns a salary.”