gaa1 po3 jan4 mong4家破人亡
Jyutpinggaa1 po3 jan4 mong4
Yalegā po yàhn mòhng
Definition
To have one's family ruined and members die; a family destroyed by misfortune or catastrophe.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom carries a heavy, somber tone and is reserved for describing extreme, life-altering tragedies. It is not used for minor family arguments or temporary separations. The phrase implies a permanent and devastating loss of family integrity.
Examples
This fire caused many families to be broken up.
He ended up with a broken family because of gambling, it is truly tragic.
Related words
Common phrases
to cause a family to be destroyed
to lead to the destruction of a family
Common mistake
Learners sometimes mistakenly use this to describe a family that has simply moved apart or divorced, but it specifically requires the element of death or total ruin to be appropriate.
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.
