hak1 soeng1黑箱
Jyutpinghak1 soeng1
Yalehāk sēung
Definition
Operating behind the scenes or under the table, without public transparency.
colloquialother
How it's used
Often used to describe political or corporate processes that lack transparency. It carries a strong negative connotation of corruption or hidden agendas. While it literally translates to black box, it is rarely used in a technical sense in Cantonese, unlike in English where it might refer to a flight recorder or a system with unknown internal workings.
Examples
Is there some behind-the-scenes manipulation going on with this project?
Their decision-making process is very opaque and was never made public.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe physical objects or literal boxes, as it is strictly used for abstract concepts like procedures, deals, or decision-making.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
