سلسلة تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية- الحلقة السابعة: عبارات مستخدمة للتعبير عن قلة المال والحاجة للمساعدة المالية

وهو خط ساخن يساعد الناس على تخطي الصعوبات المالية. وهذه الخدمة مجانية وسرية ومستقلة يقدمها مستشارون ماليون مختصون من ناحية تقييم الوضع المالي للاشخاص وابلاغهم بحقوقهم وتوفير المشورة لهم.

يمكنك أيضا الحصول على خدمة الترجمة الشفهية والتحريرية مجاناً على

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).

نص المحادثة بالكامل

Hello! This is the SBS Learn English podcast, where we help Australians to speak, understand and connect.  

My name is Josipa, and like you, I’m learning the English language. Today we are learning phrases that can help when we have to turn down an invitation for financial reasons.

I don’t know about you, but unfortunately, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.

Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth is an expression we use to say being born to a rich family and having everything money can buy.

So, since I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, there have been situations when I was saving up for something special and couldn’t afford to do all the fun things my friends were doing.

And I had to explain to them that I couldn’t go with them because I didn’t have enough money. That can be so embarrassing.

But luckily, the English language has lots of different phrases that can help us say that we don’t have money.

Listen to this conversation between friends, Allan and Maryanne, and pay attention to the phrases they use to talk about their financial situation.

Maryanne:

Are you going to Simon’s fancy dinner?

Allan:

Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve just paid for my parent’s overseas tickets, so I’m low on funds, and Simon’s get together seems a bit over the top.

Maryanne:

Oh yes, the restaurant he chose costs and arm and a leg, and I’m also a bit short of cash at the moment.

Allan:

Yeah, he always has plenty of money and doesn’t understand what it is like to be broke like the rest of us.

Maryanne:

That’s life, I guess. For some money does grow on trees and others are strapped for cash.

Josipa:

In this short dialogue, Allan and Maryanne use four different ways to say they don't have money.

Have you spotted them? Don’t worry if you didn’t, we’ll go through them one by one.

When Maryanne asked Allan if he was going to a fancy dinner, which means an expensive dinner, he said,

I'm low on funds, and Simon's get together seems a bit over the top.

Allan is low on funds, and Simon’s proposal for a get together, which is an informal social gathering seems a bit over the top.

Over the top means that something is too much, excessive or exaggerated.

So, Allan is low on funds.

Funds in this context mean financial resources, so you could say, “I’m running a little low on funds at the moment”.

Maryanne then said,

The restaurant costs and arm and a leg, and I’m also a bit short of cash at the moment.

If something costs an arm and leg, it is very expensive, and we don’t think it’s a good idea.

Maryanne also said that she is a bit short of cash at the moment, meaning she doesn’t have enough of it.

Let’s say you are having a coffee with a friend who is struggling financially. You could ask them: “Are you short of cash? Don't worry, I'll pick up the tab”.

By the way, to pick up the tab means to pay for something, particularly for food and drinks someone else has consumed.

At the end of the conversation, we’ve heard very informal expressions to describe how much money people have.

Let’s hear them once again,

Allan:

Yeah, he always has plenty of money and doesn’t understand what it is like to be broke like the rest of us.

Maryanne:

That’s life, I guess. For some money does grow on trees and others are strapped for cash.

Josipa:

Broke and strapped for cash. You can use either of these expressions to say that you have no money left.

So, you could say, “She is flat broke until she starts a new job” or, “He got a new car and now he is strapped for cash”.

Oh, and if you haven't heard the expression that something grows on trees, it means it exists in large amounts. We often use it to say that we don’t have a lot of something.

For example, when kids ask for new things all the time and don’t seem to understand how hard it is to earn money, you hear people say, “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”

So, the four expressions we’ve heard so far that mean not having much money are:

I’m low on funds.
I’m short of cash.
I’m broke.
I’m strapped for cash.

Now, let's imagine that Allan and Maryanne are not friends, and that their relationship is a bit more formal.

For example, Maryanne is now Ms Marshall, and she is Allan’s boss. What expressions will they use this time?

Maryanne:

Morning Allan. You are looking very smart today. Are you going to Simon’s promotion lunch?

Allan:

Morning Ms Marshall, Yeah...nah. I’ve decided I’d better not go. I’ve just paid for my parent’s overseas tickets, so I’m feeling the pinch at the moment. The restaurant is a little on the pricey side for me at the moment.

Maryanne:

Oh that’s a pity. Yes, it is likely to be a little pricey for people on a budget. I’m not sure my bank account will cope with it either!

Allan:

That's life, I guess. I’m sure the next time I won’t be in the red and can come along.

Josipa:

See what I mean? We got a completely new set of phrases because in this dialogue the relationship between Allan and Maryanne is professional not personal.

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