haa6 bat1 wai4 lai6下不為例下不为例

Jyutpinghaa6 bat1 wai4 lai6

Yalehah bāt wàih laih

語句

Definition

Not to be taken as a precedent; just this once and not to be repeated.

colloquialcommunication

How it's used

Used primarily when granting a one-time exception to a rule or a favor that you do not intend to repeat. It carries a firm tone, signaling that the speaker is being lenient now but will be strict in the future. It is often paired with particles like 㗎 or 呀 to emphasize the warning.

Examples

gam1今ci3次bong1幫nei5你gaau2搞dim6掂keoi5佢，haa6下bat1不wai4為lai6例aa4呀。

I will fix it for you this time, but don't expect it to happen again.

nei5你ci4遲dou3到gam3咁do1多ci3次，zung6仲soeng2想haa6下bat1不wai4為lai6例？

You have been late so many times, do you still expect to be let off the hook?

Common phrases

gong2講ming4明haa6下bat1不wai4為lai6例

to make it clear that this is a one-time exception

Common mistake

Learners sometimes use this to mean 'never again' for themselves, but it is almost exclusively used by the person granting the exception to warn the other party. It is not a phrase for making a personal vow to quit a bad habit.