caam4 sik6 king4 tan1蠶食鯨吞蚕食鲸吞
Jyutpingcaam4 sik6 king4 tan1
Yalechàahm sihk kìhng tān
Definition
To nibble away at and swallow up; to seize territory or assets using various means.
writtenother
How it's used
This idiom describes a process of gradual encroachment followed by a total takeover. It is frequently used in business or political contexts to describe how a larger entity absorbs smaller ones through a combination of subtle pressure and aggressive expansion. Unlike simple theft or conquest, it emphasizes the strategic, multi-stage nature of the takeover.
Examples
Their company wants to gradually take over the entire market.
Are these developers trying to slowly swallow up the nearby old buildings?
Related words
Common phrases
to nibble away and gobble up the market
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.
