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左支右絀

简 左支右绌 · 繁 左支右絀
Mandarin · pinyin zuǒ zhī yòu chù

Meanings

  1. to be in straitened circumstances
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Characters in this entry

左
zuǒ · left; east; unorthodox, improper
支
zhī · disperse, pay; support; branch
右
yòu · right; west; right-wing
絀
Look up this written character
绌
chù · sew, stitch; insufficient
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Entries containing 左支右絀 ↗Words written with 左 ↗Words written with 支 ↗Words written with 右 ↗Words written with 絀 ↗Words written with 绌 ↗

Mandarin tones

3–1–4–4 · zuo3 zhi1 you4 chu4

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Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zo2 zi1 jau6 zyut3

Cantonese word readings for 左支右絀. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

zo2 zi1 jau6 zyut3

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) to be lacking in resources to deal with every problem at once

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack