co5 hoeng2 kei4 sing4坐享其成

Jyutpingco5 hoeng2 kei4 sing4

Yalechóh héung kèih sìngh

Definition

To sit idle and enjoy the fruits of other people's labor.

colloquialpeopledaily actions

How it's used

This idiom carries a strong negative connotation, describing someone who is lazy or opportunistic. It is frequently used to criticize people who avoid hard work while expecting to benefit from the efforts of others. It is often paired with the concept of fairness or the lack thereof in social or professional settings.

Examples

keoi5 seng4 jat6 soeng2 zo6 hoeng2 kei4 sing4 zan1 hai6 hou2 m4 dai2 nam2

佢成日想坐享其成，真係好唔抵諗。

He always wants to sit back and reap the rewards, which is really unreasonable.

nei5 ji5 wai4 ho2 ji5 zo6 hoeng2 kei4 sing4 bin1 jau5 gam3 daai6 zek3 gaap3 naa2 ceoi4 gaai1 tiu3 aa4

你以為可以坐享其成，邊有咁大隻蛤乸隨街跳呀？

Do you think you can just sit back and reap the rewards? There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Common phrases

nam2 zyu6 zo6 hoeng2 kei4 sing4

諗住坐享其成

planning to sit back and reap the rewards

soeng2 zo6 hoeng2 kei4 sing4

想坐享其成

wanting to sit back and reap the rewards

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a neutral way to describe someone who is lucky, but it is almost exclusively used to express disapproval or moral judgment.