jan5 ji5 wai4 gaai3引以為戒引以为戒
Jyutpingjan5 ji5 wai4 gaai3
Yaleyáhn yíh wàih gaai
Definition
To take something as a warning or lesson.
writtendaily actionsother
How it's used
Carries a formal and serious tone, often appearing in news reports, speeches, or moralizing advice. It functions as a set phrase that implies a reflective process where one observes a negative outcome and internalizes the lesson to avoid repeating the same error. Despite its formal nature, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese when someone wants to sound particularly earnest or authoritative about a life lesson.
Examples
He lost so miserably this time, we must take it as a warning.
When you see others making mistakes, do you know how to take it as a lesson?
Related words
Common phrases
an example to serve as a warning
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a casual way to say 'learn from experience'. Because it specifically refers to taking a negative event as a warning, it sounds unnatural if used to describe learning from a positive success or a neutral situation.
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.
