daai6 wok6 faan6大鑊飯大镬饭
Jyutpingdaai6 wok6 faan6
Yaledaaih wohk faahn
Definition
A big wok of rice cooked for a large group, or a system where everyone receives the same treatment regardless of effort.
- a big wok of rice cooked for a large group of people
- figurativea communal system where everyone gets the same share regardless of contribution
colloquialworkpeople
How it's used
Originating from the communal dining halls of the Great Leap Forward, this term now functions as a metaphor for egalitarian systems that lack performance incentives. It carries a negative connotation, implying that individual effort is stifled because everyone receives identical rewards. People often use it to criticize bureaucratic or socialist-style management structures in modern workplaces.
Measure word
caan1餐chānExamples
The company uses a 'big wok' system, so you get the same regardless of how much you work.
Why do we have to share the same outcome? It's unfair to those who work hard.
Related words
Common phrases
to be part of a system where everyone shares the same outcome
to break the 'big wok' system and introduce performance-based rewards
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with literal cooking, as it is almost exclusively used in a figurative sense to describe unfair or inefficient organizational structures.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
