hoi1 tin1 coeng1開天窗开天窗
Jyutpinghoi1 tin1 coeng1
Yalehōi tīn chēung
Definition
To publish a blank column or page in a publication due to censorship, missing drafts, or in protest.
colloquialcommunicationwork
How it's used
Originally referring to the physical act of cutting a hole in a roof for light, this expression evolved into a journalistic term for missing content. While it is most commonly used in the context of print media or digital publications, it is occasionally applied metaphorically to other situations where someone fails to provide expected work or information. It carries a sense of deliberate omission or unavoidable failure to deliver.
Examples
They left their column blank this issue, and readers were very disappointed.
Why is your page blank? Did you not manage to finish writing it in time?
Related words
Common phrases
a column left blank
a page left blank
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of installing a skylight in a house, as the metaphorical usage in media is far more common. It is also not used for general emptiness or lack of furniture in a room.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
