手头紧

手头紧

Literally means:

hand tight

Actually means:

hard pressed for money; be short of money

手头 refers to money that can be used or one's financial situation.

This phrase means lacking money or being hard up for money. It often indicates that one does not have enough money to pay the expenditure other than the basic living expenses. It is the antonym of 手头松.

手头，指身边可以动用的钱，或个人经济状况。

手头紧，形容缺钱用，经济状况不好。多指难以应付基本生活费用以外的开支。与“手头松”相对。