jan4 do1 sau2 goek3 lyun6人多手腳亂人多手脚乱

Jyutpingjan4 do1 sau2 goek3 lyun6

Yaleyàhn dō sáu geuk lyuhn

語句

Definition

Too many cooks spoil the broth; too many people working on a task leads to chaos and inefficiency.

colloquialworkdaily actions

How it's used

This expression is a vivid way to describe the inefficiency caused by excessive interference. It is frequently used when a simple task is being hindered by too many people trying to help at once. Unlike formal idioms, it carries a very practical and slightly frustrated tone.

Examples

daai6大gaa1家m4唔hou2好jat1一cai4齊zing2整，jan4人do1多sau2手goek3腳lyun6亂aa4呀。

Don't all work on it together, too many people will just make a mess.

cyu4廚fong2房jan4人do1多sau2手goek3腳lyun6亂，nei5你ceot1出heoi3去dang2等laa1啦。

The kitchen is chaotic with too many people, you should go out and wait.

Common phrases

gaau2搞dou3到jan4人do1多sau2手goek3腳lyun6亂

to cause chaos by having too many people involved

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of people moving their hands and feet, but it is strictly used to describe the lack of coordination in a group setting.