gwo3 kiu4 cau1 baan2過橋抽板过桥抽板
Jyutpinggwo3 kiu4 cau1 baan2
Yalegwo kìuh chāu báan
Definition
To burn bridges; to abandon or betray someone once they have helped you achieve your goal.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of moral condemnation, implying that the person being described is ungrateful and opportunistic. It is frequently used in workplace conflicts or broken business partnerships where one party discards their allies after achieving a goal. The imagery of burning a bridge after crossing it highlights the finality and cold-blooded nature of the betrayal.
Examples
He really is a backstabber, he denies everything once he has used people.
Don't you dare betray me, after all I have helped you before.
Related words
Common phrases
don't be a backstabber
what a total backstabber
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
