gok3 zi6 wai4 zing3各自為政各自为政
Jyutpinggok3 zi6 wai4 zing3
Yalegok jih wàih jing
Definition
Each person or department doing things in their own way, without cooperating or coordinating with others.
colloquialworkcommunication
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong negative connotation, implying that a lack of cooperation or a selfish focus on individual goals is actively harming a larger project or organization. It is frequently used in professional or political contexts to criticize inefficiency caused by poor management or departmental rivalry. Unlike simply working alone, it emphasizes a failure to align with a shared objective.
Examples
Those two departments are always working in silos with zero communication.
When the whole team works independently without coordination, how can we succeed?
Related words
Common phrases
a style of working in silos
leading to a lack of coordination
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
