daa2 zi6 gei2 gung1打自己工

Jyutpingdaa2 zi6 gei2 gung1

Yaledá jih géi gūng

Definition

To be self-employed; to work for oneself.

colloquialworkpeople

How it's used

This phrase carries a sense of liberation from the traditional corporate hierarchy. It implies that the person has taken control of their own income and schedule, often used to describe freelancers or small business owners. It is a common way to express the transition from being an employee to being your own boss.

Examples

keoi5佢ji4而gaa1家daa2打zi6自gei2己gung1工，m4唔sai2使zoi3再tai2睇lou5老baan2闆min6面sik1色。

He is self-employed now and doesn't need to worry about his boss's mood anymore.

nei5你nam2諗zyu6住gei2幾si4時ci4辭zik1職heoi3去daa2打zi6自gei2己gung1工aa4呀？

When are you planning to quit your job and become self-employed?

Common phrases

ci4辭zik1職daa2打zi6自gei2己gung1工

quit a job to be self-employed

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 打工, which simply means to work for someone else. Adding 自己 emphasizes the autonomy of the role, so using it for a standard office job would sound confusing or sarcastic.