我们俩每个月工资加起来 都紧紧巴巴的
“Our combined salaries each month barely cover expenses.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“My husband and I are still squeezed into temporary housing.”
我们俩每个月工资加 起来 都 紧紧巴巴 的
“Our combined salaries each month barely cover expenses.”
“We barely make ends meet ourselves, so don't ask us for money.”
Relatives often openly detail their financial limitations to avoid becoming targets for family borrowing or unreasonable financial expectations.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
added together / combined
Standard phrase to calculate totals, especially income, time, or cost.
tight / scraping by / living paycheck to paycheck
An AABB reduplication describing living on a very tight financial margin.
Placed at the end of the clause to emphasize the descriptive state of being tight on money.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“We're not like that. You're paying me a salary. Listen,”
“I'll even give you my monthly salary.”
“at her age, with that little income,”
“Cost him three months' salary. That's not cheap.”
“You didn't spend all your salary, did you?”
“He must support us. How much money per month? I'm sure half of his salary is at least 6,000 yuan.”