gu1 sik1 joeng5 gaan1姑息養奸姑息养奸
Jyutpinggu1 sik1 joeng5 gaan1
Yalegū sīk yéuhng gāan
Definition
To tolerate evildoers and allow them to grow stronger.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of moral responsibility and warning. It is typically used in formal or serious contexts when someone in a position of authority fails to punish wrongdoing, thereby allowing the situation to escalate. It implies that inaction is not neutral but is actually a form of complicity that strengthens the offender.
Examples
If you keep tolerating this bad behavior, something bad will happen sooner or later.
The company cannot tolerate such misconduct; they must fire him.
Related words
Common phrases
absolutely zero tolerance
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for being too kind or lenient. It specifically refers to tolerating harmful, unethical, or illegal actions, not just being soft on someone who makes minor mistakes.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
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Adverb
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
