Intermediate - A Member of the 'Moonlight Clan' (C1552)

A: 哎!又到月底了!
ài! yòu dào yuèdǐ le!
Agh! It's the end of the month again!
B: 月底怎么了?你发什么愁啊?
yuèdǐ zěnmele? nǐ fā shénme chóu a?
What's wrong with the end of the month? What are you so worried about?
A: 月底没钱啊。没钱就不能下馆子,不能去酒吧。连约会都去不了。
yuèdǐ méi qián a. méi qián jiù bùnéng xià guǎnzi, bùnéng qù jiǔbā. lián yuēhuì dōu qùbuliǎo.
I have no money at the end of the month. Without money I can't go out to eat, can't go the bar - I can't even go on a date.
B: 不会吧?这么可怜!你的工资呢?
bùhuì ba? zhème kělián! nǐ de gōngzī ne?
No way! You poor thing! What about your salary?
A: 那点儿工资,我半个月就花光了。
nà diǎnr5 gōngzī, wǒ bàn ge yuè jiù huāguāng le.
I get a little money, then halfway through the month I've spent it all.
B: 那你平时都不存钱吗?
nà nǐ píngshí dōu bù cúnqián ma?
So you usually don't save any money?
A: 我每个月都月光。
wǒ měi ge yuè dōu yuèguāng.
I spend all my money every month.
B: 平时节约点儿嘛。要不然你永远是月初开心,月底担心。
píngshí jiéyuē diǎnr ma. yàoburán nǐ yǒngyuǎn shì yuèchū kāixīn, yuèdǐ dānxīn.
You should put some aside. Otherwise, you'll always be happy at the beginning of the month and worried at the end.
A: 哎,没办法,我也不想当月光族啊!
ài, méi bànfǎ, wǒ yě bù xiǎng dāng yuèguāngzú a!
Agh, it's impossible though. But, I don't want to be one of those people that spends all of their salary every month either!
C: 哎,你们都在啊。老板说这个月要迟几天发工资。
āi, nǐmen dōu zài a. lǎobǎn shuō zhè ge yuè yào chí jǐ tiān fā gōngzī.
Hey, you're all here. The boss said our salary is going to be a few days late this month.
A: 啊?那我没钱交房租了。
ǎ? nà wǒ méiqián jiāo fángzū le.
Huh? Then I won't have any money to pay the rent.

Key Vocabulary

月底 yuèdǐ end of the month
月初 yuèchū beginning of the month
发愁 fāchóu to be worried
下馆子 xià guǎnzi to eat out
连......都...... lián ... dōu ... even...
可怜 kělián pitiful
工资 gōngzī wages
花光 huāguāng to spend all of one's money
jiù just
平时 píngshí ordinarily
dōu always
存钱 cúnqián to save money
月光 yuèguāng to spend all of one's monthly wages
节约 jiéyuē to be thrifty with one's money
要不然 yàoburán otherwise
永远 yǒngyuǎn forever
dāng to be
月光族 yuèguāngzú a person who spends all of their monthly wages
chí to be late
发工资 fā gōngzī to pay wages
jiāo to pay
房租 fángzū rent

Supplementary Vocabulary

年初 niánchū beginning of the year
年底 niándǐ end of the year
如果 rúguǒ if
饭馆 fànguǎn restaurant
阳光 yángguāng sunshine
花钱 huāqián to spend money
民族 mínzú nationality, ethnic group
迟到 chídào to arrive late

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