Correct

揭不开锅

/ jiē bù kāi guō / 
Strokes
https://i.cchatty2.com/filters:format(webp)/fit-in/684x0/img/202102/揭不开锅-Chinese-idioms-Cchatty-633c934e-b139-4b34-98a3-cd1337764f5c-1612777347.jpg

Collocation

1
到了揭不开锅的地步
2
不至于揭不开锅
3
穷得揭不开锅
4
已经3天揭不开锅

Definition

揭不开锅

Literally means:

have nothing in the pot

Actually means:

go hungry; run out of food

It figuratively means being too poor to afford any food.

形容穷得吃不上饭。

Example

Used as predicate, complement, object or attributive. (作谓语、补语、宾语、定语)
1
Nàshí
那时
tājiā
他家
běnlái
本来
jiù
就
qíong
穷
  
,
chángcháng
常常
jiē
揭
bù
不
kāiguō
开锅
  
,
hòulái
后来
fùqīn
父亲
shēng
生
le
了
dà
大
bìng
病
  
,
rìzi
日子
gēng
更
bùhǎoguò
不好过
le
了
  
。

At that time his family was already poor, often can not open the pot, and then his father had a serious illness, life is even worse.

2
Gǎigé
改革
kāifàng
开放
qián
前
  
,
tāmen
他们
jiā
家
qíong
穷
de
得
jiē
揭
bù
不
kāiguō
开锅
  
,
chángcháng
常常
chī
吃
le
了
shàng
上
dùn
顿
méi
没
xià
下
dùn
顿
  
。

Before the reform and opening up, their family was too poor to open the pot, often ate the last meal did not go down.

3
Nǐ
你
biè
别
tīng
听
tā
他
xiāshuō
瞎说
  
,
tājiā
他家
hái
还
méiyǒu
没有
dào
到
jiē
揭
bù
不
kāiguō
开锅
de
的
dìbù
地步
  
。

Don't listen to him, his family hasn't reached the point where they can't open the pot.