gu1 zoeng2 naan4 ming4孤掌難鳴孤掌难鸣

Jyutpinggu1 zoeng2 naan4 ming4

Yalegū jéung nàahn mìhng

語句

Definition

It is hard to achieve anything alone without support.

neutralpeoplework

How it's used

This idiom is frequently used in professional or serious contexts to explain why a project or initiative has stalled. It highlights the necessity of teamwork or collective effort rather than just individual capability. While it sounds formal, it is often dropped into casual conversation to give a piece of advice a more authoritative or wise tone.

Examples

nei5你jat1一go3個jan4人zou6做m4唔saai3晒，gu1孤zoeng2掌naan4難ming4鳴㗎。

You cannot finish it alone; it is hard to succeed without support.

soeng2想gaau2搞dim6掂le1呢daan1單je5嘢，gu1孤zoeng2掌naan4難ming4鳴，wan2搵jan4人bong1幫sau2手laa1啦。

If you want to settle this, you need help because you cannot do it alone.

Common phrases

sam1深gam2感gu1孤zoeng2掌naan4難ming4鳴

deeply feel the lack of support

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe someone who is physically alone, such as someone living by themselves. It specifically refers to the inability to achieve a goal or complete a task that requires cooperation or a counterpart.