gei3 wong5 bat1 gau3既往不咎
Jyutpinggei3 wong5 bat1 gau3
Yalegei wóhng bāt gau
Definition
To let bygones be bygones; to forgive and forget past misdeeds without further punishment.
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How it's used
This idiom is a formal expression often used in professional or serious contexts to signal a clean slate. While it implies forgiveness, it carries an underlying tone of authority, suggesting that the speaker is choosing to overlook a fault rather than simply moving on emotionally. It is rarely used in casual, lighthearted banter between close friends.
Examples
Let's let bygones be bygones regarding past mistakes.
Related words
Common phrases
promise to let bygones be bygones
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a casual way to say sorry or forgive, but it is actually quite heavy and formal. Using it in a trivial situation can sound overly dramatic or stiff.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
