baak6 sau2 hing1 gaa1白手興家白手兴家
Jyutpingbaak6 sau2 hing1 gaa1
Yalebaahk sáu hīng gā
Definition
To build up one's business from scratch, often starting under difficult or adverse conditions.
neutralworkpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the personal effort and lack of initial capital or family support. It carries a strong sense of admiration for someone who has overcome significant hurdles to achieve success. Unlike simply starting a business, this implies a rags to riches narrative.
Examples
He started from zero and really built his business from scratch.
Do you think he built his fortune from scratch all by himself?
Related words
Common phrases
a self-made boss
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply being successful or rich. It specifically highlights the absence of inherited wealth or external help at the beginning of one's career.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
