dak1 go3 gat1得個吉得个吉

Jyutpingdak1 go3 gat1

Yaledāk go gāt

語句

Definition

To end up with nothing, to gain nothing, or to achieve no results from one's efforts.

colloquialdaily actionsemotion

How it's used

The term relies on the Cantonese cultural practice of using 吉 to represent emptiness or nothingness, often as a euphemism to avoid saying empty or void directly. It carries a strong sense of frustration or wasted effort, highlighting the contrast between the energy invested and the lack of tangible outcome. It is frequently used to describe situations where someone has high expectations that are ultimately crushed.

Examples

ngo5我paai4排zo2咗sing4成go3個zung1鐘tau4頭deoi2隊，zeoi3最hau6後ging2竟jin4然dak1得go3個gat1吉。

I queued for an hour, but ended up with nothing at all.

nei5你gam3咁joeng6樣zou6做je5嘢faat3法，zeoi3最hau6後zi2只wui2會dak1得go3個gat1吉㗎zaa3咋。

If you work like that, you will only end up with nothing.

Common phrases

mong4忙zo2咗jat1一coeng4場dak1得go3個gat1吉

busy for nothing and ended up with nothing

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with just being empty, but it specifically implies a failed expectation or a wasted effort. It is not used to describe a container that is empty, such as an empty bottle or an empty room.