My mum took the family on once my father had passed away.
Cantonese
撑起头家
撐起頭家
caang3 hei2 tau4 gaa1
to support (and be the only breadwinner of) one's family
Cantonese
一个人孭起头家
一個人孭起頭家
jat1 go3 jan4 me1 hei2 tau4 gaa1
to sustain one's family by oneself
Cantonese
𫖵起头望下星星。
𩓥起頭望下星星。
Perk up the head and stare at the stars.
Cantonese
万事起头难
萬事起頭難
maan6 si6 hei2 tau4 naan4
everything has a difficult beginning
Examples (Wiktionary)
Mandarin
总而言之，一切从前为绅士们看不起的人，一切被绅士们打在泥沟里，在社会上没有了立足地位，没有了发言权的人，现在居然伸起头来了。
總而言之，一切從前為紳士們看不起的人，一切被紳士們打在泥溝裏，在社會上沒有了立足地位，沒有了發言權的人，現在居然伸起頭來了。
zǒng ér yán zhī ， yī qiè cóng qián wéi shēn shì men kàn bù qǐ de rén ， yī qiè bèi shēn shì men dǎ zài ní gōu lǐ ， zài shè huì shàng méi yǒu le lì zú dì wèi ， méi yǒu le fā yán quán de rén ， xiàn zài jū rán shēn qǐ tóu lái le ．
In short, all those whom the gentry had despised, those whom they had trodden into the dirt, people with no place in society, people with no right to speak, have now audaciously lifted up their heads.
Mandarin
校长威严地宣布：“有谁带了BP机，马上交出来！”就像是搜查毒品和枪支弹药。大家呆住了，没有电蛐蛐的擡起头，脸上露出得意的微笑。带了电蛐蛐的不由自主地低下头，目光四处躲闪，像一群刚刚出洞的小老鼠。
校長威嚴地宣佈：“有誰帶了BP機，馬上交出來！”就像是搜查毒品和槍支彈藥。大家呆住了，沒有電蛐蛐的抬起頭，臉上露出得意的微笑。帶了電蛐蛐的不由自主地低下頭，目光四處躲閃，像一羣剛剛出洞的小老鼠。
xiào zhǎng wēi yán de xuān bù ： “ yǒu shéi dài le ＢＰ － jī ， mǎ shàng jiāo chū lai ！ ” jiù xiàng shì sōu chá dú pǐn hé qiāng zhī dàn yào ． dà jiā dāi zhù le ， méi yǒu diàn qū qu de tái qǐ tóu ， liǎn shang lù chū dé yì de wēi xiào ． dài le diàn qū qu de bù yóu zì zhǔ de dī xià tóu ， mù guāng sì chù duǒ shǎn ， xiàng yī qún gāng gāng chū dòng de xiǎo lǎo shǔ ．
The principal solemnly announced, "Whoever brought a pager must hand it over immediately!" It was just like a search for drugs, firearms and ammunition. Everyone was stunned. Those who did not have a beeper lifted up their heads, smiling smugly. Those who brought a beeper couldn't help but lower their heads, and their evasive eyes looked all over the place, like a mischief of little mice that have just come out of a hole.