geoi3 wai4 gei2 jau5據為己有据为己有
Jyutpinggeoi3 wai4 gei2 jau5
Yalegeui wàih géi yáuh
Definition
To take possession of something and treat it as one's own.
writtenmoneypeople
How it's used
Carries a strong negative connotation of selfishness, greed, or even theft. It is almost exclusively used to criticize someone for claiming ownership of things that belong to a group, an organization, or another person. You will rarely hear this used in a neutral or positive context.
Examples
These are public property, don't try to make them your own.
He actually took the company's money for himself, that is truly outrageous.
Related words
Common phrases
to misappropriate public property
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say 'to take' or 'to keep'. It specifically implies an act of misappropriation or claiming something that is not rightfully yours, rather than just holding onto an item.
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.
