燒瓷的食缺，織蓆的睏椅

Chinese

			really and truly; aim; clear really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of	eat; food; to feed eat; food; to feed; animal feed	lack; scarce; vacant post lack; scarce; vacant post; to run short of		to weave straw mats	really and truly; aim; clear really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of	sleepy; doze off	chair
trad. (燒瓷的食缺，織蓆的睏椅)		燒瓷	的	食	缺	，	織蓆	的	睏	椅
simp. (烧瓷的食缺，织席的困椅)		烧瓷	的	食	缺	，	织席	的	困	椅
Literally: “Potters eat out of chipped [bowls]; mat weavers sleep on chairs.”

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sio-hûi--ê chia̍h khih, chit-chhio̍h--ê khùn í

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sio-hûi--ê chia̍h khih, chit-chhio̍h--ê khùn í
    • Tâi-lô: sio-huî--ê tsia̍h khih, tsit-tshio̍h--ê khùn í

Proverb

燒瓷的食缺，織蓆的睏椅

1. (Hokkien, figurative) one often neglects those closest to oneself; the shoemaker's children go barefoot

Synonyms

• 燒瓷食缺，織蓆睏椅 / 烧瓷食缺，织席困椅

References

• “台灣諺語-燒瓷的食缺 織蓆的睏椅”, in Chinese Television System News‎^[1], 2012 May 4, retrieved 30 May 2024
• “Entry #27195”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.