masuk tiga, keluar empat

Indonesian

Etymology

Literally, "three comes in, four comes out"

Phrase

masuk tiga, keluar empat

1. (idiomatic) to have one's spending more than one's income

   Synonym: besar pasak daripada tiang

Further reading

• “masuk tiga, keluar empat” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.