bou3 hei2 bat1 bou3 jau1報喜不報憂报喜不报忧
Jyutpingbou3 hei2 bat1 bou3 jau1
Yalebou héi bāt bou yāu
Definition
To report only good news and conceal or withhold bad news.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Often used to describe a person's tendency to hide personal struggles from loved ones, or to criticize media outlets and corporate reports that selectively filter information. It carries a slightly critical or weary tone, suggesting that the omission of negative details creates a false sense of security or reality. It is a four character idiom that functions as a verb phrase in natural speech.
Examples
He only tells his family the good news to avoid worrying them.
When doing business, don't just report the good news; you must explain the risks clearly.
Related words
Common phrases
accustomed to only reporting the good news
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
