gwok3 jau5 gwok3 faat3 gaa1 jau5 gaa1 kwai1國有國法家有家規国有国法家有家规

Jyutpinggwok3 jau5 gwok3 faat3 gaa1 jau5 gaa1 kwai1

Yalegwok yáuh gwok faat gā yáuh gā kwāi

Definition

Every state has its laws, and every family has its rules.

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

This proverb is frequently invoked to justify why someone should not interfere in the internal affairs of a group, organization, or family. It carries a tone of firm boundary setting, implying that external standards or logic do not necessarily apply to the specific environment in question. While it sounds formal due to its origin, it is commonly used in casual conversation to shut down unsolicited advice or criticism.

Examples

gaan1間gaan1間gung1公si1司man4文faa3化dou1都m4唔tung4同，gwok3國jau5有gwok3國faat3法gaa1家jau5有gaa1家kwai1規maa3嘛。

Every company has a different culture; each place has its own rules.

nei5你m4唔hou2好caap3插sau2手jan4人dei6哋uk1屋kei2企di1啲si6事，gwok3國jau5有gwok3國faat3法gaa1家jau5有gaa1家kwai1規aa4呀。

Don't interfere with their family matters; everyone has their own way of doing things.

Common phrases

gwok3國jau5有gwok3國faat3法

countries have their own laws

gaa1家jau5有gaa1家kwai1規

families have their own rules

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal statement about legal systems, but it is almost always used metaphorically to describe social or organizational norms. Using it to discuss actual government legislation will sound unnatural and confusing to native speakers.