daai6 baa2 sau2 mei5 gan1大把手尾跟
Jyutpingdaai6 baa2 sau2 mei5 gan1
Yaledaaih bá sáu méih gān
Definition
A lot of loose ends to tie up; a lot of work left to clean up after or put in order.
colloquialworkdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the burden of cleaning up after someone else's incompetence or sudden departure. It implies that the original person failed to complete their task properly, forcing others to spend extra time and effort to rectify the situation. The phrase is inherently negative and often used when complaining about colleagues or previous contractors.
Examples
After he left, he left a huge mess for us to clean up.
Related words
Common phrases
to clean up a mess
long-term consequences or lingering issues
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply having a lot of work to do. It specifically refers to fixing errors or finishing incomplete tasks left by someone else, rather than just a heavy workload.
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.
