trắng tay

Vietnamese

Etymology

trắng (“white”) +‎ tay (“hand”). Calque of Chinese 白手 (báishǒu).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕaŋ˧˦ taj˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʈaŋ˦˧˥ taj˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʈaŋ˦˥ ta(ː)j˧˧]

Adjective

trắng tay

1. empty-handed

Usage notes

• The term can simply refer to the state of having nothing to give, of getting nothing, but it can also imply an ultimate loss of fortune that the subject suffers.