do1 go3 hoeng1 lou4 do1 zek3 gwai2多個香爐多隻鬼多个香炉多只鬼
Jyutpingdo1 go3 hoeng1 lou4 do1 zek3 gwai2
Yaledō go hēung lòuh dō jek gwái
Definition
An idiom warning that having more people involved, or taking on extra unnecessary tasks, only brings more trouble.
colloquialmoneywork
How it's used
This idiom uses the imagery of a temple incense burner to represent a source of profit or benefit. Adding an extra burner invites an extra ghost to claim a share of the offerings, effectively diluting the gains for everyone involved. It is frequently used in business or project management contexts to warn against unnecessary involvement from additional parties.
Examples
Don't bring too many people into this business; too many cooks spoil the broth.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe simple overcrowding or busy environments. It specifically refers to the division of resources or profits where more participants lead to a smaller share for each person.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
