caai2 zyu6 jan4 bok3 tau4踩住人膊頭踩住人膊头
Jyutpingcaai2 zyu6 jan4 bok3 tau4
Yalecháai jyuh yàhn bok tàuh
Definition
To advance oneself or gain an advantage by exploiting or stepping over others.
slangworkpeople
How it's used
This expression describes someone who achieves success or promotion by exploiting or undermining colleagues. It carries a strong negative connotation of being ruthless and selfish in a professional or social environment. It is almost exclusively used to criticize someone's character rather than to describe a neutral strategy.
Examples
He always steps on others to get ahead, it's so annoying.
Related words
Common phrases
to climb the career ladder by stepping on others
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase literally to mean standing on someone's shoulders. It is strictly a metaphorical idiom for careerism or social climbing.
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).
