bat1 sing4 man4不成文

Jyutpingbat1 sing4 man4

Yalebāt sìhng màhn

區別詞

Definition

Unwritten, informal, or tacitly accepted but not officially documented.

neutralworkpeople

How it's used

This term is almost exclusively used to describe social norms, workplace etiquette, or cultural expectations that are understood by a group without ever being formally written down. It carries a sense of collective agreement, implying that while no one signed a contract, violating these norms often leads to social friction or awkwardness. It is frequently paired with nouns like 規定 or 規矩 to describe the invisible boundaries of a specific environment.

Examples

nei1呢dou6度jau5有jat1一tiu4條bat1不sing4成man4文kwai1規ding6定，san1新lai4嚟ge3嘅jan4人jiu3要ceng2請sik6食haa6下ng5午caa4茶。

There is an unwritten rule here that newcomers must treat everyone to afternoon tea.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知gung1公si1司jau5有me1咩bat1不sing4成man4文ge3嘅kwai1規geoi2矩aa4呀？

Do you know if the company has any unwritten rules?

Common phrases

bat1不sing4成man4文kwai1規ding6定

unwritten rule

bat1不sing4成man4文faat3法

unwritten law

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for simply meaning 'illegal' or 'unauthorized', but it actually refers to social conventions that are widely accepted and followed, not necessarily things that are forbidden.