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lugi

lugî with stress marks

financial loss; at a loss

noun adjective lu-GI Chinese origin Less Common

Usage Note

Lugi comes from Hokkien Chinese and refers to incurring a loss in business or a transaction. It is extremely common in everyday speech beyond commerce — Filipinos use it whenever they feel they got the short end of any deal, whether financial or social ('lugi ako dito' — I'm getting a raw deal here).

Examples

Beginner

" Lugi ako sa bilihan. "

Natural Translation

I lost money on the purchase.

Literal Translation

At-a-loss I in the buying.

Intermediate

" Lugi ang tindahan. "

Natural Translation

The store is at a loss.

Literal Translation

At a loss the store.

Advanced

" Kahit mababa ang presyo, lugi pa rin ang tindahan dahil mas mataas ang gastos kaysa sa kita. "

Natural Translation

Even though the price is low, the store is still at a loss because the expenses are higher than the income.

Literal Translation

Even-if low the price, at-a-loss still the store because more high the expense than the income.

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