Word information
Simplified捉襟见肘
Traditional捉襟見肘
Pinyinzhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu
Part of speechDictionary
HSK 3.0Not listed
HSK 2.0Not listed
Chinese word dictionary
捉襟见肘
zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu · lit. pulling on the lapels exposes the elbows (idiom); strapped for cash; unable to make ends meet
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 捉襟见肘
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
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