chân lấm tay bùn

Vietnamese

Etymology

chân (“legs”) +‎ lấm (“soiled”) +‎ tay (“arms”) +‎ bùn (“muddy”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕən˧˧ ləm˧˦ taj˧˧ ʔɓun˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕəŋ˧˧ ləm˦˧˥ taj˧˧ ʔɓun˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [cəŋ˧˧ ləm˦˥ ta(ː)j˧˧ ʔɓʊwŋ͡m˨˩]

Verb

chân lấm tay bùn

1. to toil bitterly; to labor arduously; to work one's fingers to the bone; to break one's back; to keep one's nose to the grindstone