A woman who makes the family decline

[GoodTaste]

The busband earns $5,000US a month and the wife $3,000. Yet the wife spent $10,000 and bought an LV handbag for herself yesterday. The busband denounces her:"You are a woman who makes this family decline!"

OK. The phrase "makes the family decline" is my translation from Chinese. The Chinese idiom that is extremly common, if directly translated, means "fails the family". The question here is whether the phrase sounds natural in English. How do you native English speakers describe it?

 

[tedmc]

I don't think one instance of overspending is enough to bring down/fail a family, just as one sparrow does not make a summer.
I have not heard of "make something decline". "Fail the family or let the family down" is a better translation.

 

[teechar]

just as one [STRIKE]sparrow[/STRIKE] swallow does not make a summer.

Swallows are summer visitors in Europe; sparrows are resident birds.

 

[teechar]

"You are a woman who makes this family decline!"

No. That's unnatural.
Try:
You've no respect for this family.
or (much stronger):
You're destroying this family.

 

[Rollercoaster1]

The busband ...

The husband...

 

[Rollercoaster1]

I would say 'You are overspending and ruining our financial state'.

 

[Rover_KE]

The husband earns US$5,000 a month and the wife $3,000, yet the wife spent $10,000 and bought an LV handbag for herself yesterday. The husband denounces her:"You are a woman who makes this family decline!"

OK. The phrase "makes the family decline" is my translation from Chinese. The Chinese idiom that is extremely common, if directly translated, means "fails the family". The question here is whether the phrase sounds natural in English. How do you native English speakers describe it?

;-)

 

[Tarheel]

I would say:

"You spent too much!"

 

[emsr2d2]

I would say 'You are overspending and ruining our financial state'.

That's understandable but not natural. You could say something like "Your [uncontrollable] spending is going to be the [financial] ruin of this family".

 

[GoodTaste]

Does "You are ruining the economy of this family!" work?

Or: You are bringing down this family.

 

[emsr2d2]

Neither of them work.

 

[alpacinou]

What about this?

You are breaking the bank!

Chinese idioms are misogynistic by the way!

 

[Tarheel]

You might try:

If you keep it up we will have to declare bankruptcy.

 

[tedmc]

You don't give a damn about family finances.
You don't care two hoots about family finances.
You are bankrupting us.

 

[emsr2d2]

1. You don't give a damn about family finances.
2. You don't care two hoots about family finances.
3. You are bankrupting us.

#3 is OK. Sentences 1 and 2 lose the idea of the person overspending on things they can't afford. Also, to me, caring about the "family finances" sounds more like someone who is interested in the actual work of budgeting and dealing with all aspects of the household's finances. That's not what the original said either.

 

[GoodTaste]

Sentences 1 and 2 lose the idea of the person overspending on things they can't afford. Also, to me, caring about the "family finances" sounds more like someone who is interested in the actual work of budgeting and dealing with all aspects of the household's finances. That's not what the original said either.

And, since the "family finances" is used without an article, it sounds as general as a branch of economics and the "wife student" is too lazy to study it and thus reprimanded by the pedantic husband.

 

[tedmc]

And, since the "family finances" is used without an article, it sounds as general as a branch of economics and the "wife student" is too lazy to study it and thus reprimanded by the pedantic husband.

The possessive "our" is more appropriate before "family finances", but it would be understood in informal conversation. "Finances" refers to monetary resources and not a subject (which is singular).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/essential-british-english/finances

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The husband earns $5,000 [space] US a month and the wife $3,000. Yet the wife spent $10,000 and bought an LV handbag for herself yesterday. The busband denounces her: [space] "You are a woman who makes this family decline!"

OK. The phrase "makes the family decline" is my translation from Chinese. The Chinese idiom that is extremly common, if directly translated, means "fails the family". The question here is whether the phrase sounds natural in English.

No.

How do you native English speakers describe it?

There are lots of ways. Here are a few:

- You're making us go broke.
- You're busting us.
- You're driving us into the poor house.
- You're burning through our savings.
- You're ruining us.
- I want a divorce.