daa2 tin1 haa6打天下
Jyutpingdaa2 tin1 haa6
Yaledá tīn hah
Definition
To conquer territory and build an empire; now also meaning to build a career or business.
- to conquer enemies and take over territory to build an empire
- figurativeto build and develop a career or business from scratch
colloquialwork
How it's used
Originally referring to military conquest, this phrase is now frequently used in business contexts to describe the arduous process of building a company or career from scratch. It carries a strong sense of struggle and personal sacrifice, implying that the success was earned through grit rather than luck. It is often used to describe the founding generation of a business or a self-made entrepreneur.
Examples
He worked extremely hard to build his career when he was young, which is why he is successful today.
Do you think that starting a business and building an empire is an easy task?
Related words
Common phrases
to struggle to build one's career
the process of building an empire
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
