dan6 dung1 gu1燉冬菰炖冬菰
Jyutpingdan6 dung1 gu1
Yaledahn dūng gū
Definition
To demote or be demoted.
colloquialwork
How it's used
This expression uses the imagery of slow-cooking mushrooms to imply someone is being sidelined or moved to a less important position. It carries a sense of being left to simmer in a stagnant role rather than being outright fired. It is strictly colloquial and used to describe office politics or workplace shifts.
Examples
He messed up, and as a result, he got demoted by the boss.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this term in a formal business setting or when speaking to superiors, as it is highly informal and slightly mocking. It specifically refers to a demotion or being sidelined, not to the act of cooking.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
