SBS Learn English yuav pab kom koj muaj peev xwm tham, totaub thiab sib cuag tau nrog lwm tus ntawm teb chaws Australia - txheeb tau txhua toom sob kawm ntawm no.
Toom sob kawm no haum rau cov neeg kawm ntawv Askiv tshaj lij theem nrab. Tom qab mloog tas lawm, sim teb peb tej lus nug hauv qab no tam li yog ib co kev tshau txuj seb koj totaub zoo npaum li cas.
Learning notes:
Cov sob lus piv txwv koj muaj peev xwm siv thaum tham txog nyiaj txiaj thiab tej nqe siv ntau yam (Examples of phrases you can use when talking about money and expenses):
- Everything’s getting so expensive lately. (Tsis ntev los no ces txhua yam kim heev li lawm).
- Prices are going up everywhere. (Nyiaj poob nqe tag li lawm; vim nyiaj tsis muaj nqe li yav tag los thiab txhua yam kim tag li lawm).
- Things aren’t as affordable as they used to be. (Tsis tshua muaj peev xwm yuav tau tej khoom li ib txwm yuav dhau los lawm).
- I’m really feeling the pinch. (Kuv txom nyem nyiaj txiaj siv heev).
- Money’s a bit tight at the moment. (Tsis tshua muaj nyiaj txaus siv tam sim no — tsuas yuav tau tej tsim nyog yuav siv xwb tsis muaj nyiaj siv luam thuam).
- I’m just trying to make ends meet. (Kuv ces tab tom khwv hnub noj hnub xwb — yeej tsis muaj nyiaj seem siv lawm).
- I’m barely getting by. (Kuv ces yeej tsis tshua muaj peev xwm ua lub neej lawm).
- Rent’s through the roof. (Nqe ntiav tsev nyob kim heev lawm — nqe ntiav tsev nyob tau nce sai heev thiab tam sim no kim heev lawm).
- Petrol costs a fortune. (Hom roj tsheb petrol mas kim kawg nkaus li lawm).
- I’ve had to cut back and watch every dollar. (Kuv yuav tau txuag nyiaj thiab siv raws li qhov tau npaj tseg thiab hloov yus tej cwj pwm siv nyiaj).
- I’m trying to stick to a budget. (Kuv yeej yuav tau npaj tias yuav siv nyiaj li cas thiab siv raws li yus npaj tseg xwb — kom thiaj tswj tau nyiaj, txuag tau nyiaj, tsis txhob tiv nuj nqes).
Colloquial expressions (ntau lo lus sib sau txhais tau ib lub ntsiab lus):
To feel the pinch means that you feel that it’s getting harder to cover your expenses.
(To feel the pinch txhais tias yus mloog tau tias nyuaj tshaj qub ntxiv rau yus yuav muaj nyiaj them tau ntau yam nqe lawm).
If you say that money is tight, it means you don’t have much money to spend.
(Yog yus hais tias money is tight, ces txhais tias yus tsis tshua muaj nyiaj ntau siv lawm).
To make ends meet is to have just enough money to cover your basic needs like rent, food, and bills. You can use it when you are managing ok, but suggests that it is not easy to do this.
(To make ends meet ces yog tsis muaj nyiaj txaus los yuav tej tsim nyog yuav siv li them tsis taus nqe ntiav tsev nyob, yuav zaub mov noj, thiab them lwm yam nqe (nqe dej, hluav taws xob, gas, nqe tuav pov hwm txoj sia, pov hwm tsheb, pov hwm tsev etc. Yus yeej tseem muaj peev xwm siv tau nyiaj thiab yog yus ua tib zoo tswj nyiaj txiaj, tab sis yeej tsis tshua yooj yim yuav ua li.)
If you’re barely getting by, you only just have enough money to cover your basic needs. You can use it when you are very nearly not managing to cover your expenses.
(Yog tias yus barely geeting by, ces yog yus tsuas muaj nyiaj txaus yuav tej khoom tsim nyog yuav siv xwb. Thiab yus tsuas muaj peev xwm siv thaum uas yus twb yuav laug tsis tshua muaj peev xwm tswj tau ntau yam kev siv lawm xwb.)
If something is through the roof, it is very high. For example, rent or prices for petrol can be through the roof.
(Yog tias ib yam dab tsi is through the roof, ces yog nce kim heev. Piv txwv li tej nqe ntiav tsev nyob, tej nqe roj tsheb uas kim heev lawm).
To cost a fortune means to be very expensive. (To cost a fortune txhais tau lub ntsiab lus tias kim heev).
To watch every dollar means to be very careful how you spend money. (To watch every dollars txhais tias yuav tau xyuam xim tiag tiag tias seb yus yuav siv nyiaj li cas).
To stick to a budget means to spend only the money you have planned to spend. (To stick to a budget txhais tias tsuas siv tej nyiaj raws li yus tau npaj tseg coj los siv xwb).
Vocabulary (Lo lus):
A budget is a plan you make for how you will spend your money.
(Ib co budget ces yog ib co tswv yim yus npaj tias yus yuav siv yus tej nyiaj li cas).
If something is affordable, it means it costs a reasonable amount and you can pay for it without difficulty.
(Yog tias ib yam dab tsi (is affordable), ces txhais tias tus nqe yeej tsim nyog them thiab yus yeej muaj peev xwm them).
If something is not affordable, it costs too much money and you don’t have enough money to pay for it easily.
(Yog tias ib yam dab tsi (is not affordable), ces txhais tias kim heev thiab yus tsis muaj nyiaj txaus yuav tau yooj yim).
To cut back on something means to reduce how much you do, spend, or use something.
(To cut back on something txhais tias yuav tau txo yus cov kev siv nyiaj los yog siv ib yam dab tsi).
Learning Focus:
In English we have different present tenses, that we can choose to use depending on what we want to emphasise: the present continuous. (to be + verb + ing) and the present simple (verb(s)).
We use the present continuous when we want to emphasise the actual process or feeing that is going on in the present time.
Notice that Allan and Claire use this when they are stressing how difficult they are finding it to manage:
Allan: Everything’s getting so expensive lately. (is getting)
Allan: …I’m just trying to make ends meet (am trying)
Claire: I know. I’m really feeling the pinch. (am feeling)
But when they simply want to say that something is true, they use the present simple:
Claire: Me too. Rent’s through the roof, and petrol costs a fortune. (is, costs)
We also have the present perfect (have/had + past participle), which we can use to talk about something that started in the past but is continuing into the present, as in
Allan: Yeah, I’ve had to cut back and watch every dollar. (have + had)
Allan uses the present perfect because he started having to cut back in the past but he is still having to cut back. If he didn’t have to cut back any more, he would say:
Allan: I had to cut back (but now I don’t have to)
Transcript (Tej sob lus tham theej los ntawm cov kev sib tham):
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
Have you noticed that everything costs more than it used to? You go to the supermarket, pay your rent or morgage, fill up your car – and suddenly, your money is gone.
Hi, I’m Kate. We might not be able to help you with more money, but we can help you talk about the cost of living. In this episode you’ll learn everyday English you can use to talk about money, expenses, and any financial pressure that you are feeling.
These are the kind of conversations you might have with friends, colleagues or family. So, let’s learn from Allan and Claire who are chatting about rising costs.
Allan:
Everything’s getting so expensive lately.
Claire:
I know. I’m really feeling the pinch.
Allan:
Same. I’m just trying to make ends meet.
Claire:
Me too. Rent’s through the roof, and petrol costs a fortune.
Allan:
Yeah, I’ve had to cut back and watch every dollar.
Like Allan, every time prices go up, I have to think carefully before spending money. So, I’m keen to learn these phrases, how about you?
First, Allan said,
Everything’s getting so expensive lately.
This is a very common way to talk about rising prices. You could use it everyday situations when things like food, rent, mortgage or transport cost more than they did before.
You could also say:
- Prices are going up everywhere.
- The cost of living keeps going up.
When you say “the cost of living keeps going up”, you mean that prices for everyday things like rent, food, transport, and bills are increasing.
The cost of living is the amount of money you need to pay for all the basic things you need to live.
Next, we heard Claire,
I’m really feeling the pinch.
To feel the pinch means to start noticing that you are under some financial pressure. You are finding that things are still manageable, but it’s getting harder.
You could also say:
- Money’s a bit tight at the moment.
And that would mean the same thing as saying, “I’m feeling the pinch.”
Allan then said,
I’m just trying to make ends meet.
If you make ends meet, then you have just enough money to cover your basic needs like rent, food and bills, but that you are not finding it easy. Actually, although I’m trying hard to make ends meet, since my rent went up, I’m barely getting by. That’s another phrase we can use. If you’re barely getting by then you are only just about making ends meet and you are finding it extremely difficult. You might not make it next time.
After I pay for my rent, I have just enough for basics. Then Claire explained a few reasons why we’re stuck trying to make ends meet. She said,
Rent’s through the roof, and petrol costs a fortune.
If the cost of something is through the roof, it is very high – so high that it has gone through the ceiling. You can also use it to talk about other numbers that are very high and you are not happy about it. So, for example, you could say that your blood pressure is through the roof, or the number of complaints is through the roof.
Claire also said,
Petrol costs a fortune.
If something costs a fortune, it is very expensive. These are both very common, informal expressions.
Finally Allan said,
I’ve had to cut back and watch every dollar.
To cut back on something means to reduce how much you do, spend or use it. For example, last week my doctor told me to cut back on sugar because my blood sugar level was though the roof, so I stopped eating my chocolate treats every afternoon. Do you need to cut back on something?
Allan is talking about cutting back on spending, but he also said something else. Let’s hear him again
I’ve had to cut back and watch every dollar.
If you’re watching every dollar, you’re being very careful with your money.
You could also say:
- I’m trying to stick to a budget.
I’m going to use this phrase a lot because I’m trying to spend only the money I have planned to spend on different things. Basically, I’m trying to keep to a very small, or we can say tight, budget so that I can save some money for a holiday.
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Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
Mloog tau xov xwm tshiab ntawm SBS Hmong, download SBS Adio app thiab caum SBS Hmong Facebook page thiab mloog tau SBS Hmong Youtube.
