hoi1 gong2 jau5 waa6開講有話开讲有话
Jyutpinghoi1 gong2 jau5 waa6
Yalehōi góng yáuh wah
Definition
As the saying goes; as the proverb says.
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Use this phrase to introduce a piece of traditional wisdom or a well-known idiom to support your argument. It functions similarly to "as the saying goes" in English, signaling to the listener that a familiar, culturally accepted truth is about to be cited. It is particularly effective for adding a touch of authority or rhetorical weight to advice.
Examples
As the saying goes, don't worry about a bad start in life, worry about a bad name.
hoi1開gong2講jau5有waa6話，jat1一fan1分gaang1耕wan4耘jat1一fan1分sau1收wok6穫，nei5你dou1都hai6係nou5努lik6力di1啲laa1啦。
As the proverb says, you reap what you sow, so you should work a bit harder.
Related words
Common phrases
as the saying goes
Common mistake
Avoid using this to introduce personal opinions or facts that are not actually proverbs or common sayings. It sounds unnatural if you follow it with a statement that is just your own observation rather than a widely recognized cultural nugget.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
