Learn English – Being dependent on parents/somebody

word-meaningword-usage

I would like to learn an adult person can be dependent on his/her parents? Do I use this phrase correctly?

For example :

"Oh mate you are 24 and you still live with your parents.I think you
got used to be dependent on your parents, you don't want to move on."

Here what I am trying to say that I assume these people have been living with their parents all their life and kind of they develop a habit that parents do most of chores like cooking, laundry, cleaning or shopping etc.These people can earn their livings but live comparatively better off than in case they live by their own.

Or depending on suggests more financial support?

Best Answer

This works just fine:

I think you've become too dependent on your parents, and you don't want to move on.

There are plenty of other ways you can say this, of course. You might be interested in this more idiomatic way:

Dude, you are 24 and still live with your parents. It's time to get loose from those apron strings.

The expression tied to your mother's apron strings means that you are too dependent on your mother, especially when it would be more appropriate to start gaining more independence in your life.

UE says:

A man who is tied to a woman's apron strings is excessively dependent on her, especially when it is his mother's apron strings.

A page at encyclopedia.com reveals:

apron strings, tied to one's mother's traditional phrase, meaning that a person who should be grown up is still subject to their mother's dominance;
from the mid 16th century, an apron string as the fastening of an apron has been used to symbolize the role of the mistress of a household

Another common English idiom comes straight from avian science:

You're still 24 and you live with your parents. I think it's time they kick you out of the nest.

The nest is a common metaphor to use for the home, particularly when discussing the topic of grown children leaving. For example, one Investopedia headline reads: Why Some Kids Never Leave The Nest, while The CSM asks: Adult kids at home: Time to kick the birds out of the nest?

Generally speaking, the kicking-out-of-the-nest expression addresses the issue more from the perspective of the parents.

Related Topic