hand-to-mouth
hand-to-mouth — 形容詞
1. describes a situation in which a person or a family uses up their money or food
勉強糊口
收入一來就用盡，沒有儲蓄
describes a situation in which a person or a family uses up their money or food immediately after receiving it, leaving nothing saved or put aside for later needs
After losing his factory job, the Chao family lived a hand-to-mouth existence on part-time wages.
失去工廠工作後，Chao 一家靠兼職收入過著勉強糊口的生活。
collocation: a hand-to-mouth existence
The freelance photographer described her hand-to-mouth lifestyle as exciting but always stressful.
這位自由攝影師形容她勉強餬口的生活方式既刺激又充滿壓力。
Many young students in the city survive on hand-to-mouth incomes, renting cheap rooms.
城裡許多年輕學生靠著僅夠餬口的收入勉強度日，租便宜的房間。
collocation: hand-to-mouth income
The widow's hand-to-mouth situation meant she could not cover a single unexpected hospital bill.
那位寡婦勉強糊口的處境，讓她連一筆意外的住院費都付不起。
A hand-to-mouth life leaves no room for saving for a house or a child's education.
勉強糊口的生活沒有餘力為買房或子女教育存錢。
predicative use: life is hand-to-mouth
- a hand-to-mouth existence
- a hand-to-mouth life
- hand-to-mouth wages
- hand-to-mouth income
- live a hand-to-mouth lifestyle
- impoverished
more direct about being poor; less specific about the immediate-spending aspect
- precarious
emphasises the instability and risk of the situation rather than the spending pattern
- subsistence
describes the bare-minimum level of survival; used more formally (subsistence farming, subsistence wage)
- affluent
describes a situation with plenty of money to spare
- comfortable
suggests having enough income to cover needs and some wants without worry
文法句型
a hand-to-mouth existence / life
be hand-to-mouth
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears before a noun (attributive) — 'a hand-to-mouth existence', 'hand-to-mouth wages'. Less commonly it appears predicatively: 'their life was hand-to-mouth'.
常見錯誤
2. describes a company or organisation that spends all of its revenue or consumes a
僅能週轉
收入或物資一到即用盡的經營狀態
describes a company or organisation that spends all of its revenue or consumes all of its supplies immediately, without building up any inventory or cash reserve
The small bookstore operated on a hand-to-mouth basis, ordering new stock only after each sale.
這家小書店以僅能週轉的方式經營，每次賣出一本書才訂下一批貨。
collocation: operate on a hand-to-mouth basis
A hand-to-mouth system forced the factory to buy materials each morning for the day's production.
僅能週轉的供應系統迫使工廠每天早上才購買當天生產所需的原料。
The start-up's hand-to-mouth financial model left no funds available for replacing broken equipment.
這家新創公司僅能週轉的財務模式，根本沒有資金可以更換壞掉的設備。
Running a hand-to-mouth business means every delay from a supplier can shut down operations entirely.
經營一間僅能週轉的企業，供應商若稍有延遲，整個營運就可能停擺。
attributive use before 'business'
- on a hand-to-mouth basis
- a hand-to-mouth operation
- a hand-to-mouth business
- hand-to-mouth supply model
- just-in-time
a neutral supply-chain strategy — 'hand-to-mouth' carries a negative implication of financial weakness
- bare-bones
describes minimal staffing or resources; overlaps but is broader
文法句型
a hand-to-mouth operation / business
run on a hand-to-mouth basis
用法筆記
Common in business contexts describing small firms or charities that lack working capital. Frequently appears in the phrase 'run on a hand-to-mouth basis'.
3. relating to an action in which a person brings their hand up to touch their lips
手觸口的
手部碰觸嘴巴的動作或姿勢
relating to an action in which a person brings their hand up to touch their lips or mouth area, for example while eating, thinking deeply, or showing a strong emotion
The doctor noticed the patient's repeated hand-to-mouth gesture and asked if he felt anxious about something.
醫師注意到病人反覆做出手觸口的動作，便問他是否感到焦慮。
In many cultures, a slow hand-to-mouth movement while looking away means the person is thinking carefully.
在許多文化中，一邊緩緩做出手觸口的動作、一邊將目光移開，代表對方正在認真思考。
collocation: hand-to-mouth movement
The baby's hand-to-mouth motions were the clearest signal that she was getting hungry.
嬰兒的手觸口動作是她肚子餓時最明顯的信號。
During drama rehearsal, Yuki repeated a hand-to-mouth gesture in front of the mirror to convey her character's deep anxiety.
戲劇排練時，Yuki 在鏡子前反覆做出手觸口的動作，來表現她飾演角色的深深焦慮。
- hand-to-mouth gesture
- hand-to-mouth movement
- hand-to-mouth motion
- oral
more technical and medical; 'hand-to-mouth' is more descriptive of the motion itself
文法句型
a hand-to-mouth gesture / movement
用法筆記
This sense describes a physical gesture, not a financial situation. It is typically used attributively before nouns such as 'gesture', 'movement', or 'motion'. The literal meaning occasionally appears in medical or parenting contexts.
hand-to-mouth — 副詞
1. with all available money or food being spent or consumed as soon as it arrives,
勉強餬口地
以收入一來就用光的方式生活
with all available money or food being spent or consumed as soon as it arrives, so that nothing is saved for future needs
The retired couple lived hand-to-mouth on a tiny monthly pension from the government.
這對退休夫婦靠著微薄的政府月退俸勉強餬口度日。
collocation: live hand-to-mouth
During the drought, farming families existed hand-to-mouth, depending on each day's harvest for a meal.
乾旱期間，許多農家勉強餬口地過活，每天的收成就靠那一頓晚餐。
After the earthquake, the Nguyen family survived hand-to-mouth in a rented shack.
地震後，Nguyen 一家住在租來的小屋中勉強餬口地度日。
The young musician grew up living hand-to-mouth and could make a small wage last all week.
這位年輕音樂家從小就過著勉強餬口的生活，深知如何讓微薄的薪水撐過一整週。
adverb modifying verb 'living'
- live hand-to-mouth
- exist hand-to-mouth
- survive hand-to-mouth
- precariously
more general — can describe any unstable situation, not just financial ones
- from hand to mouth
a slightly fuller phrase with the same meaning
- comfortably
implies having enough money to cover needs and save
- securely
suggests a stable financial situation with reserves
文法句型
live hand-to-mouth
exist hand-to-mouth
用法筆記
The adverb sense always follows a verb of living or surviving — most commonly 'live', 'exist', or 'survive'. It cannot appear alone without a verb describing the manner of survival.
常見錯誤
2. by spending or using all available resources immediately on receipt, without bui
僅能週轉地
以收入或物資一到即用盡的方式營運
by spending or using all available resources immediately on receipt, without building any reserve or buffer for later needs
The neighbourhood café was run hand-to-mouth, buying fresh bread each morning with the previous day's earnings.
這家社區咖啡館僅能週轉地經營，每天早上用前一天的營業額買新鮮麵包。
collocation: run hand-to-mouth
The small charity operated hand-to-mouth, using every donation immediately to fund its education programmes.
這家小型慈善機構僅能週轉地運作，每一筆捐款都立刻用來資助其教育計畫。
Many workshops in the district function hand-to-mouth, ordering materials only after a customer places an order.
該區許多小作坊僅能週轉地運作，接到客戶訂單後才訂購材料。
The restaurant operated hand-to-mouth for years before finally building a small savings fund.
這家餐廳僅能週轉地經營了多年，才終於存下一小筆週轉金。
- run hand-to-mouth
- operate hand-to-mouth
- function hand-to-mouth
- on a shoestring
similar meaning but less specific — 'shoestring' emphasises a very small overall budget, not necessarily the timing of spending
文法句型
run hand-to-mouth
operate hand-to-mouth
用法筆記
Used mainly in discussions of small businesses or non-profits that lack working capital. The adverb follows verbs like 'run', 'operate', or 'function'.