Example: Many people work two jobs to make ends meet.
Definition
"To make ends meet" means to earn just enough money to cover one's basic living expenses. It describes the situation where income is sufficient to pay for necessities like food, housing, and bills without surplus or debt.
Translations
llegar a fin de mes
rondkomen
arribar a final de mes
joindre les deux bouts
über die Runden kommen
Etymology
The phrase "to make ends meet" dates back to the 17th century and originally referred to the practice of tailoring, where the ends of a piece of cloth had to be joined perfectly. Over time, it evolved metaphorically to mean managing finances so that income and expenses align. Did you know it vividly captures the challenge of balancing limited resources?
Learn to use this expression actively
"To make ends meet" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (B2) - set 1", containing 103 commonly used expressions.
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