baak6 lou1白撈白捞
Jyutpingbaak6 lou1
Yalebaahk lōu
Definition
To work in vain, or to do something without receiving any reward or return.
colloquialworkmoney
How it's used
Describes putting in effort that yields no tangible benefit or payment. It often carries a sense of frustration or regret, highlighting the futility of the situation. It is frequently used when someone expects a return but ends up empty handed.
Examples
He worked all night for them, but it turned out to be for nothing.
Related words
Common phrases
to end up with nothing after all the effort
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 撈, which can mean to make a living or to work in a specific field. While 撈 is neutral, 白撈 specifically emphasizes the lack of gain or the wasted effort.
Grammar color guide
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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).
