jat1 si4 m4 tau1 gai1 zou6 bou2 zoeng2一時唔偷雞做保長一时唔偷鸡做保长

Jyutpingjat1 si4 m4 tau1 gai1 zou6 bou2 zoeng2

Yaleyāt sìh m̀h tāu gāi jouh bóu jéung

Definition

To behave well for a brief moment and put on a show of righteousness despite a history of bad behavior.

colloquialpeopleemotion

How it's used

This idiom uses the imagery of a chicken thief who suddenly decides to act as a village guard to highlight the irony of a hypocrite. It is specifically reserved for situations where someone lacks the moral high ground to criticize others. It carries a strong sense of mockery and is often used to shut down someone who is being overly sanctimonious.

Examples

keoi5佢zi6自gei2己dou1都seng4成jat6日ci4遲dou3到，jat1一si4時m4唔tau1偷gai1雞zou6做bou2保zoeng2長gam3咁naau6鬧jan4人。

He is always late himself, yet he acts like a hypocrite scolding others for it.

nei5你mai1咪jat1一si4時m4唔tau1偷gai1雞zou6做bou2保zoeng2長laa1啦，nei5你zi6自gei2己dou1都mei6未zou6做hou2好。

Don't be a hypocrite and point fingers, you haven't even done your own part well.

Common phrases

jat1一si4時m4唔tau1偷gai1雞zou6做bou2保zoeng2長gam3咁

acting like a hypocrite

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal comment about theft or security. It is strictly a metaphorical expression used to call out hypocrisy, so it should not be used in contexts involving actual crimes or law enforcement.