hak1 gau2 dak1 sik6 baak6 gau2 dong1 zoi1黑狗得食白狗當災黑狗得食白狗当灾
Jyutpinghak1 gau2 dak1 sik6 baak6 gau2 dong1 zoi1
Yalehāk gáu dāk sihk baahk gáu dōng jōi
Definition
One person commits a crime or reaps the benefits, while an innocent person takes the blame and suffers.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
This idiom functions as a vivid metaphor for scapegoating where the actual perpetrator avoids punishment while an innocent party is blamed. It is often used to express a sense of injustice or unfairness in a situation. You will hear it in workplace gossip or when discussing social grievances where the wrong person is held accountable.
Examples
It was clearly his mistake, why should the innocent take the fall for him?
gung1公si1司coi4裁jyun4員，zan1真hai6係haak1黑gau2狗dak1得sik6食baak6白gau2狗dong1當zoi1災，mou4無gu1辜ge3嘅jan4人dou1都bei6被caau2炒zo2咗。
The company layoffs are a case of the innocent suffering for the guilty, even innocent people got fired.
Related words
Common phrases
truly a case of the innocent suffering for the guilty
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase to describe simple bad luck or general misfortune. It specifically requires a situation where there is a clear distinction between the person who committed the act and the person who is unfairly suffering the consequences.
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.
