bat1 gung6 daai3 tin1不共戴天
Jyutpingbat1 gung6 daai3 tin1
Yalebāt guhng daai tīn
Definition
Cannot live under the same sky with someone; bound by an irreconcilable, mortal enmity.
writtenpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom is a formal expression used to describe an intense, irreconcilable hatred between parties. It carries a dramatic weight often found in historical dramas or literary contexts rather than casual conversation. When used in modern speech, it usually emphasizes the severity of a conflict or a permanent breakdown in a relationship.
Examples
keoi5佢dei6哋loeng5兩go3個ji5以cin4前hai6係hou2好pang4朋jau5友，dim2點zi1知ji4而gaa1家bin3變sing4成bat1不gung6共daai3戴tin1天ge3嘅sau4仇jan4人。
They used to be good friends, but now they have become mortal enemies.
le1呢coeng4場zaang1爭caan2產gun1官si1司ling3令keoi5佢dei6哋loeng5兩hing1兄dai6弟bin3變sing4成bat1不gung6共daai3戴tin1天，zan1真hai6係hou2好ho2可sik1惜。
This inheritance lawsuit turned the two brothers into mortal enemies; it is really a pity.
Related words
Common phrases
mortal enmity
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common adjective to describe someone they dislike. It is reserved for extreme, life-altering animosity, so using it for minor disagreements or simple annoyance sounds overly theatrical and unnatural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
