gung1 gwo3功過功过
Jyutpinggung1 gwo3
Yalegūng gwo
Definition
Merits and demerits; contributions and mistakes.
neutralpeoplework
How it's used
Refers to a balanced assessment of someone's performance or historical legacy. It is frequently used in formal or semi-formal discussions about accountability, such as evaluating a colleague's project or a historical figure's impact. The term implies a weighing process where positive contributions are measured against negative outcomes.
Examples
He has done so much, how should his merits and demerits be calculated?
Everyone has their merits and demerits, do not just look at the mistakes.
Related words
Common phrases
merits and demerits cancel each other out
to discuss merits and demerits
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
