hing1 nok6 gwaa2 seon3輕諾寡信轻诺寡信

Jyutpinghing1 nok6 gwaa2 seon3

Yalehīng nohk gwá seun

Definition

To make promises too easily and rarely keep them.

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How it's used

This idiom carries a strong moral judgment and is typically used to warn others about someone's unreliable character. It is formal in tone and functions as a descriptive phrase for a person's habitual behavior rather than a single broken promise. You will often hear it used in professional or serious social contexts to characterize someone who lacks integrity.

Examples

keoi5佢fan6份jan4人hing1輕nok6諾gwaa2寡seon3信，nei5你m4唔hou2好gam3咁seon3信keoi5佢。

He is someone who makes promises easily but rarely keeps them, you shouldn't trust him so much.

zou6做saang1生ji3意zeoi3最paa3怕jyu6遇dou3到hing1輕nok6諾gwaa2寡seon3信ge3嘅hap6合zok3作fo2夥bun6伴。

In business, the thing to fear most is encountering a partner who makes promises easily but rarely keeps them.

Common phrases

wai4為jan4人hing1輕nok6諾gwaa2寡seon3信

to be a person who makes promises easily but rarely keeps them

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say someone lied once, but it specifically describes a personality trait of being flippant with commitments. It is not used to describe a specific instance of breaking a promise, but rather the pattern of behavior.