jau5 saat3 co3, mou5 fong3 gwo3有殺錯，冇放過有杀错，冇放过
Jyutpingjau5 saat3 co3, mou5 fong3 gwo3
Yaleyáuh saat cho3, móuh fong gwo
Definition
Better safe than sorry; to act ruthlessly or thoroughly so that no possibility is missed, even if innocent parties suffer.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
This idiom reflects an aggressive or thorough approach where one prefers to over-correct or over-act rather than risk missing a single detail. While it can be used in serious contexts like police work or strict management, it is often used hyperbolically in daily life to justify being extra careful or even slightly unreasonable to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Examples
le1呢daan1單je5嘢gam3咁zung6重jiu3要，ngo5我dei6哋jau5有saat3殺co3錯，mou5冇fong3放gwo3過，cyun4全bou6部man4文gin2件dou1都jiu3要gim2檢caa4查jat1一ci3次。
This matter is so important that we should check every single document, better safe than sorry.
Common phrases
a better-safe-than-sorry mentality
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal instruction to commit violence, but it is almost always used metaphorically to describe a 'zero-tolerance' or 'thorough' attitude in decision-making.
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.
