gwo3 laang5 ho4過冷河过冷河
Jyutpinggwo3 laang5 ho4
Yalegwo láahng hòh
Definition
To rinse cooked food in cold water, or to go through a cooling-off period before starting a new job.
- to rinse cooked food in cold water to cool it down quickly
- figurativeto go through a cooling-off or lock-up period to avoid a conflict of interest
colloquialfoodwork
How it's used
Beyond the culinary context, this term is widely used in professional settings to describe a mandatory cooling off period between jobs. It refers to a situation where an employee must wait a certain amount of time before joining a competitor or a related industry to avoid conflicts of interest. The metaphor draws on the idea of washing away the heat or influence of the previous role before starting a new one.
Examples
Remember to rinse the noodles in cold water after boiling them.
Related words
Common phrases
to give a quick rinse in cold water
Common mistake
Do not use this term to describe cooling down a person or a situation, as it is strictly reserved for food preparation or the specific professional context of non-compete clauses.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
