haam4 jyu2 faan1 saang1鹹魚翻生咸鱼翻生

Jyutpinghaam4 jyu2 faan1 saang1

Yalehàahm yú fāan sāang

Definition

To make a sudden, unexpected comeback or succeed against all odds when all hope seemed lost.

colloquialother

How it's used

This idiom draws on the visual of a dried, salted fish which is dead and stiff, making its return to life an impossible, miraculous event. It is almost exclusively used in contexts involving business, career, or reputation recovery after a total collapse. It carries a sense of surprise, as the person or entity was previously considered completely hopeless or finished.

Examples

keoi5佢saang1生ji3意sat1失baai6敗zo2咗gam3咁noi6耐，ging2竟jin4然ho2可ji5以haam4鹹jyu2魚faan1翻saang1生。

He had been failing in business for so long, but he actually managed to make a comeback.

le1呢gaan1間gau6舊pou3舖tau2頭zap1執zo2咗lap1笠，dim2點joeng2樣haam4鹹jyu2魚faan1翻saang1生aa4呀？

This old shop has already closed down, how could it possibly make a comeback?

Common phrases

zung1終jyu1於haam4鹹jyu2魚faan1翻saang1生

finally made a comeback

dang2等gan2緊haam4鹹jyu2魚faan1翻saang1生

waiting for a comeback

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a simple improvement or a minor recovery. It implies that the subject was previously in a state of total failure or bankruptcy, similar to being dead, before the sudden reversal of fortune.