co5 hoeng2 kei4 sing4坐享其成

Jyutpingco5 hoeng2 kei4 sing4

Yalechóh héung kèih sìhng

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佢seng4成jat6日soeng2想zo6坐hoeng2享kei4其sing4成，zan1真hai6係hou2好m4唔dai2抵nam2諗。

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

nei5你ji5以wai4為ho2可ji5以zo6坐hoeng2享kei4其sing4成，bin1邊jau5有gam3咁daai6大zek3隻gaap3蛤naa2乸ceoi4隨gaai1街tiu3跳aa4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諗zyu6住zo6坐hoeng2享kei4其sing4成

planning to sit back and reap the rewards

soeng2想zo6坐hoeng2享kei4其sing4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.