Hand to mouth Meaning in English
expression
HAND-tuh-MOWTH
HAND-too-MOWTH
Definition
Living with just enough money or resources to survive, with nothing extra or saved for the future.
Usage & Nuances
'Hand to mouth' describes a precarious financial state. It's mostly used as 'live hand to mouth'. It implies no savings and constant worry about daily expenses. Not literal, and can be used for individuals or families.
Spanish: subsistir al día - vivir al díaPortuguese (BR): viver de mãos atadas - viver de mão em bocaPortuguese (PT): viver de mão à boca - viver com dificuldadeChinese (Simplified): 勉強度日 - 只能勉强糊口Chinese (Traditional): 勉強度日 - 只能勉強餬口Hindi: दिन-प्रतिदिन गुजर-बसर करनाArabic: يعيش على الكفاف - بالكاد ينجوBengali: হাত থেকে মুখেRussian: сводить концы с концамиJapanese: その日暮らしVietnamese: sống vừa đủ ănKorean: 입에 풀칠하다Turkish: kıt kanaat geçinmekUrdu: دن بہ دن گزر بسر کرناIndonesian: hidup pas-pasan
Example Sentences
Many families in the village live hand to mouth.
basic
He earns so little that he's always hand to mouth.
basic
After losing her job, she started living hand to mouth.
basic
It's hard to save when you're living hand to mouth every month.
natural
They've been hand to mouth since their business closed.
natural
I grew up in a hand to mouth situation, so I value stability.
natural