捉襟见肘 in English zhuo1 jin1 jian4 zhou3 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) pulling on the lapels exposes the elbows (idiomatic expression)
  • strapped for cash
  • unable to make ends meet

Simplified Characters

捉 襟 见 肘

Traditional Characters

捉 襟 見 肘

Pinyin

zhuo1 jin1 jian4 zhou3

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

捉zhuo1to clutch 襟jin1lapel 见jian4to see 肘zhou3elbow