jat1 coeng4 hung1一場空一场空
Jyutpingjat1 coeng4 hung1
Yaleyāt chèuhng hūng
Definition
To end up with nothing, to have gained nothing, or to have labored in vain.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Often used to describe a sense of disappointment or wasted effort after high expectations. It carries a slightly dramatic or reflective tone, frequently appearing in contexts involving failed investments, broken relationships, or long-term projects that fail to materialize. It is a set phrase that functions as a predicate or a descriptive comment on a situation.
Examples
I was busy all night, but in the end, it was all for nothing.
Aren't you afraid that doing it this way will result in nothing?
Related words
Common phrases
to end up with nothing in the end
Common mistake
Do not use this as a direct verb phrase like 'to lose'. It describes the state of the outcome rather than the act of losing itself.
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.
