bou1 mou5 mai5 zuk1煲冇米粥

Jyutpingbou1 mou5 mai5 zuk1

Yalebōu móuh máih jūk

動詞

Definition

To waste time discussing abstract plans that will lead to nothing.

colloquialdaily actionsother

How it's used

This idiom vividly captures the frustration of putting effort into a discussion or plan that lacks the essential substance to succeed. It is frequently used in professional or social settings to dismiss proposals that are purely theoretical or lack a concrete path to implementation. The imagery of cooking congee without rice highlights that no matter how much heat or time you apply, the core requirement for a result is missing.

Examples

ngo5我dei6哋king1傾zo2咗seng4成maan5晚，zeoi3最hau6後dou1都hai6係bou1煲mou5冇mai5米zuk1粥。

We talked all night, but in the end, it was all for nothing.

nei5你zung6仲soeng2想tung4同keoi5佢king1傾？gan1根bun2本zau6就hai6係bou1煲mou5冇mai5米zuk1粥㗎zaa3咋。

You still want to talk to him? It's honestly just a waste of time.

Common phrases

gan1根bun2本hai6係bou1煲mou5冇mai5米zuk1粥

is fundamentally a waste of time

jau6又bou1煲mou5冇mai5米zuk1粥

wasting time on empty talk again

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with simply being busy or inefficient. The term specifically implies that the topic or plan itself is fundamentally flawed or empty, rather than just poorly executed.