fong3 haa6 tou4 dou1 ，laap6 dei6 sing4 fat6放下屠刀，立地成佛
Jyutpingfong3 haa6 tou4 dou1 ，laap6 dei6 sing4 fat6
Yalefong hah tòuh dōu ，laahp deih sìhng faht
Definition
To lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot; to repent and turn over a new leaf.
colloquialother
How it's used
This idiom is frequently used in a secular context to encourage someone who has been acting badly or making poor life choices to change their ways immediately. It carries a sense of moral urgency and forgiveness, suggesting that redemption is always possible regardless of past actions. While it originates from Buddhist teachings, it is now a common proverb used in everyday life to describe someone turning over a new leaf.
Examples
He finally decided to repent and turn over a new leaf.
Related words
Common phrases
sincerely repent
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
