can3 fo2 daa2 gip3趁火打劫
Jyutpingcan3 fo2 daa2 gip3
Yalechan fó dá gip
Definition
To loot a burning house; to take advantage of someone's crisis or chaotic situation for personal gain.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong moral condemnation, implying that the person acting is being predatory or unscrupulous. It is frequently used in business or interpersonal conflicts where one party exploits another's vulnerability for personal gain. Unlike neutral descriptions of taking an opportunity, this term specifically highlights the cruelty of the timing.
Examples
Their family is going through a crisis, and you are still trying to take advantage of them?
Seeing that they were desperate for money, he took advantage of the situation to drive the price down.
Related words
Common phrases
predatory behavior
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.
