cat1 sap6 ji6 hong4七十二行
Jyutpingcat1 sap6 ji6 hong4
Yalechāt sahp yih hòhng
Definition
All walks of life; all sorts of professions and trades.
colloquialworkpeople
How it's used
This expression originates from ancient Chinese culture to represent the diversity of occupations, but it is now used idiomatically to mean every possible job or industry. It is frequently paired with the phrase 行行出狀元, which suggests that one can excel and achieve greatness in any field regardless of the specific trade. While it literally references the number seventy-two, it should be understood as a figurative way to describe the vast spectrum of human labor.
Examples
There are all kinds of professions in society, and each has its own difficulties.
Which profession do you think is the hardest among all the different trades?
Related words
Common phrases
every trade has its master
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
