gam6 dei6 jau4 seoi2撳地游水揿地游水
Jyutpinggam6 dei6 jau4 seoi2
Yalegahm deih yàuh séui
Definition
To play it safe or act with extreme caution.
colloquialdescriptionsother
How it's used
This idiom vividly describes someone who is excessively careful, literally suggesting someone who stays close to the ground while swimming to avoid deep water. It carries a slightly critical tone, implying that the person is risk-averse to the point of being timid or lacking ambition. It is most commonly used when criticizing someone for missing opportunities due to their fear of failure.
Examples
Don't be so overly cautious in life, try taking risks to make progress.
He is always very safe and cautious at work, he never takes a gamble.
Related words
Common phrases
a very cautious personality
to act in a very safe and conservative manner
Common mistake
Do not take the literal meaning of swimming near the ground; it is purely figurative and has nothing to do with actual swimming or water sports.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
