duk1 sou3篤數笃数
Jyutpingduk1 sou3
Yaledūk sou
Definition
To cook the books, falsify accounts, or inflate figures.
colloquialworkmoney
How it's used
Originally referring to the physical act of poking or prodding, this term has evolved into a common metaphor for manipulating financial records or inflating figures. It carries a strong negative connotation of dishonesty and is frequently used in professional or business contexts to describe unethical behavior. Unlike formal terms for fraud, this expression highlights the specific act of 'poking' at the numbers to make them look different.
Examples
His company is always cooking the books, they will be in trouble soon.
Why are you falsifying the accounts? Doing that is illegal.
Related words
Common phrases
company cooking the books
falsifying accounts to deceive others
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply making a calculation error. It specifically implies an intentional, deceptive act to misrepresent data for personal or corporate gain.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
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.
